Unsung Heroes
by Romako
Summary: What if Zach joined Claire as she embarks on her journey with the rest of the heroes? It's back! After a hiatus, here's a megachapter! AU as of Unexpected, no connection between Mohinder and Sylar. What trials await our Heroes after the boom?
1. Reunited

Unsung Heroes

By: Ro

Ch.1: Reunited

AN's

Heroes doesn't belong to me, I'm just taking the characters on a different path

Thoughts in_ italics_

Thoughts heard by Matt in **_bold italics_**

Since it's pretty obvious whose thinking what in the Zach/Claire scenes, it seems kind of pointless to differentiate them.

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Odessa, Tx

Late afternoon

Claire's POV

"My name is Claire Bennet, and as far as you know, that was attempt 35."

As much as she hated the sounds of her bones grinding back into place, Claire couldn't help but smile as she got up from the ground to see Zach there with his video camera. How many times had they been here before? She had lost count. How many times had she been there without Zach? _One time too many._ These past few months she had been focused on one thing only: her freakish healing powers.

At first, all she could think about was how to hide it from her snobbish, cheerleader friends. God forbid they might find out and toss her off the heights of the high school food chain.

Then Zach came back into her life. Okay, in all honesty, she's the one who chose to confide in him, but same difference right? _Whatever._ Anyway, the point is that Zach turned out to be the best friend she ever had. He was totally cool with her freaky healing powers, but a little shocked at first. _Can ya blame him?_ Zach even went out of his way to make sure she got elected homecoming queen; she could still remember his smile when he told her she got the freak vote. By far the happiest moment of her life, but the whole punching Jackie thing came in at a close second. _She had it coming, that bitch._

So fast forward to the day after homecoming, normal day right? _I wish!_ It turns out that that scary black guy erased Zach's memory!! I lost the only person who really knew me and cared….

Claire would never forget that feeling, the intense pain of loss, the pain of knowing that she was truly alone in a world full of people who wanted to kill her. She knew that that she couldn't do this alone, so she brought Zach back here, to show him her powers again. Now they were back at the bridge, Zach had that cute, confused but understanding look on his face, and she was determined to rebuild what she had with Zach. _And what would that be, exactly?_

"You can stop posing now, Miss homecoming queen."

"Oh….uh, right…."

"We should be heading back, it's pretty dark already"

"Aww is the big, bad sci-fi geek afraid of the dark?"

"No! It's just that some of us can't regenerate our arms and legs if we have accidents."

As Claire fell into step at Zach's side she suddenly realized she felt at home. More so than when she was at her own home. Walking this familiar path with Zach was…nice. So nice, apparently, that she didn't notice the nail sticking out of the railroad tracks until after she tripped over it. Luckily Zach was there to catch her before her head was impaled by the nails in front of her. Not that it would have mattered if he didn't, but Claire still took a few seconds to thank whatever big being was out there for returning Zach to her.

"God, were you always this clumsy?"

"Shut up!"

"Ow!"

For the rest of the walk home, all Zach could think about (besides the sore spot on his arm where Claire hit him) was how right it felt to have her in his arms. _Careful man, she's a cheerleader, and if what she says is true, the shit's about to hit the fan in so many ways…_

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Matt Parkman

New York

**_Jeez, why can't these damn meter maids ever cut a brother some slack?!_**

After handing out what felt like his hundredth parking ticket for the day, Matt Parkman came to one very obvious conclusion: Most people are assholes, even more so when you can hear what they keep to themselves. Sometimes he thought that this gift was more trouble than it was worth, then he remembered that day with his wife…_Good times, Good stuff…_

"Have a nice day sir."

**_Shove it pig_** "Thank you officer."

_That's it! I need to get out of here!!_

Once he got done with his report, Matt took off on of his "quiet walks", times where he took off to find a secluded place to think and enjoy the silence in his head. After the false confession he gave to the board he had been busted down to the slowest beat in town and it was driving him crazy.

This gift, however annoying, meant something. He was supposed to be doing something with it, something important. That's when he heard it, the story of Nathan Petrelli. He was some big wig politician in training in New York who had a brother who supposedly jumped off a building and survived. Maybe this Petrelli brother was like him, maybe he had some gift, maybe he could help Matt figure out the connection between Sylar and this Mr. Bennet character.

However, there was one flaw with that plan: the baby. Janet just found out she was having a baby; he was going to be a father! He couldn't abandon his wife and child when they needed him, but didn't making this world a safer place for both of them by catching Sylar count?

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Zach's Place

Odessa, TX

Zach's POV

_What a day. There is no way my life could get any weirder_

As Zach lay on his bed, he thought about the happenings of the past few days. First he wakes up with a major headache and chunks of time where he can't remember what he was doing, then he gets dragged out to an old bridge by his old friend turned cheerleading snob, Claire Bennet. Suddenly, he's watching her hurt herself over and over and heal all the damage.

According to Claire, Zach's memory had been wiped away by some person who also has powers and works for Claire's dad. Despite the strangeness of it all, he believed her, wholeheartedly. Not because of some movie-like rush of memories or anything, but because when he was with her it felt natural and right. He remembered the hurt in her eyes and the pain in her voice when Claire told him about how she realized he didn't remember anything. Whatever happened, he needed to make sure she never felt like that again, he may not remember much about her, but that look cut him pretty deep. She said he was her friend right? Well friends have each other's backs, even if one spent years tormenting the other. She did seem like a whole new person, like someone who had much greater burdens on their shoulders than the food chain.

_And just how am I supposed to help her?? She's the_ _one with the wolverine healing, and there must be others out there like the memory wipe guy and this Peter Petrelli. I don't even have any powers…_

Zach looked up at his computer and the proverbial light bulb went off, followed by a worried sigh.

_That's a start, but something tells me life is gonna get real sucky real fast. At least I'll have her to keep me company in a jail cell if things get ugly…_


	2. New Beginnings

Unsung Heroes

By: Ro

Chapter 2: New Beginnings

AN's:

Heroes belongs to Tim King and NBC, I'm just writing about em

Thoughts in _italics_

So help me, if they kill off Zach….well there's not much I'll be able to do, but it would be such a bummer

Zach/Claire for life!!!

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Odessa, Tx

Claire's house

Claire's POV

BRING!!! BRING!!! BRING!!!

Claire snapped up at the sound of her alarm clock going off. She looked outside and didn't even see the rays of pink that meant the sunrise had started. Her alarm clock said 5:30 AM. _What he hell?!_

"KYLE!!!"

She tried to clear the fog out of her head while ignoring the laughter down the hall and trying to remember the details of a really good dream. _Oh crap, I hate it when I can't remember something important…_

"Oh no…"

Before she knew what she was doing, Claire dived for her cell phone and dialed Zach's number. She had to know that it wasn't a dream. She had to know if Zach really had remembered what happened yesterday. She had to know that the Haitian man hadn't visited him again in the night. She had to know she wasn't alone again!! _Pick up…pick up…pick up…pick up dammit!!_

"….Claire?"

"Zach! Quick, what did we do yesterday?!"

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Zach's Place: 5:00 AM Part A

Zack's POV

_I can't believe I just pulled that off. I am the man! The incredibly exhausted….sleepy…man…_

Zach jerked his head up just as he was about to nod off. A well deserved rest it would have been, but he wasn't done yet. He printed out the documents, saved the files on to his flash drive, and deleted his internet history.

What he did next was one of the hardest things Zach ever had to do. He deleted every file on his computer, every program, launched a quarantined virus into his own system and watched his own computer, his lifeline for all his movie hobbies, crash spectacularly. Just for good measure he applied as many magnets as possible to completely destroy the PC. _All for her, for her cause, just like homecoming…_

Just as he was about to drift off in his bed, he hears his phone ring. He had never heard a more unwelcome sound. Was one hour of sleep to much to ask? _Apparently so…_

"….Claire?"

"Zach! Quick, what did we do yesterday?!"

"…Huh? Claire we went over to the bridge and I saw you try to kill yourself over and over. You told me the story about your healing powers, the homecoming, your dad, the Haitian man, even Peter."

"Oh thank god!"

"Claire, not that I don't enjoy hearing your voice, _Doh!_, but why are you asking?"

"I…uh…thought maybe the Haitian man might have gotten to you again."

"Don't worry Claire, he didn't. Even if he does, I won't forget you again."

"Aw, that's sweet Zach, but you can't promise that."

"Actually I can, come over to my house, I've got some things I have to show you and there are some things we need to talk about."

"Oh, um ok. I'll be there in a second."

"So how do scrambled eggs and bacon sound?"

"What?"

"Breakfast Claire, it is yawn only 5:30 after all."

"Oh right, that sounds good. Try not to burn em?"

"Thanks for the vote of confidence Claire."

"Aw I'm kidding Zach, don't be such a drama queen."

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Zach's Place 6:00 AM Part B

As soon as Claire stepped into Zach's room, she realized how different Zach's room was from hers. Where she had all of her old teddy bears Zach had relics of long gone rock bands and computer equipment. The more subdued colors actually looked good after staring at the bright pink hues of her room; she never did get around to repainting.

After awhile, her eyes landed on a poster of an old Metallica concert that looked oddly familiar_. Duh, Zach and I went there a long time ago, what was it? Like 8th grade? It must've been, we were still hanging out back then, before I ditched him for the nazi cheerleaders. I won't make that mistake again._

"Mind if I use your computer Zach?

"Um, sorry Claire, but you can't?"

"Come on, I won't check what internet sites you've visited, promise!" _Ha, I love it when he blushes…_

"It's not that, it doesn't work anymore. I…um…had to destroy it"

"What?! Why?! I thought you loved to work on your computer, doing all that movie stuff and all that other techie junk."

"That's actually part of what I wanted to talk to you about. Look, with all that's been going on recently, I think we need to leave, now."

"Why? Where would we go? Besides everyone would know, we wouldn't get far"

"Why? Come on Claire! Geez where do I start? There's your dad who apparently isn't afraid to do some questionable things to get the job done, and there's that guy who tried to kill you!"

"Yea, but they arrested him! You're going crazy Zach, we can't just take off!"

"We have too, he escaped…"

"What?"

"..and he killed two people in the process. He's after you Claire, and if you stay here, he'll be back. I spent all of last night researching the author of the book I gave you, this Suresh guy, he'd be a good place to start. His site said he was planning a conference in New York. He might be able to give you more info about how you got your healing powers, maybe even how to control them or something."

"Wow…I…um, how would we even get there?"

"It's shocking what you can get done with some photo editing software and a reference pic or two. These are new ID's and passports I printed out, never know when we might need em. That's why I had to destroy my computer, technically this is illegal, if the cops were to salvage my internet history and files I'd be put in jail till my grandkid's wedding."

"Zach, these pictures don't look like us." What did he say about him in jail?

"I've got some old, uh, masks that I found awhile back, very realistic ones, they should get us past airport security. Our flight leaves at midnight, if you're interested."

"Zach these masks, are they from that time that…"

"Yea"

"Look, that was wrong of them, I'm so sorry, I shouldn't have told them…"

"Don't worry about it; we've got more important things to worry about now."

Claire was in shock, to say the least. Zach had done so much for her. The masks from that evil prank a few years ago, the ID's, the passports, the tickets, even his computer. Oh god, she didn't deserve such a good friend, she didn't deserve him. Yet here he was, clawing through his closet looking for something, so casually, like all his work and sacrifice didn't mean a thing.

She could feel her eyes tearing up, and before she knew it she crossed the room and wrapped her arms around him. He needed to know that she appreciated him and what he did for her. _God, how long has it been since I felt comfortable holding someone like this?_

"Thank you Zach. Just….thank you…"

"Anytime Claire, you may be the one with the powers, but we are friends after all. You know I'll always be around to watch your back and cause all sorts of hell."

Neither of them bothered to take note of how long they stood there in each other's arms, each trying to savor every moment of rare joy. The joy of companionship, of knowing that there's at least one person in this crazy world that cares about you. A rare thing indeed, especially in the sensitive, confused years of adolescence.

"I guess we should get going, school will start soon." _What? I don't want to let go!!_

"So do we do the usual split up halfway?"

"No, stay with me this time."

"But the natzi cheerleaders…"

"Screw them! It'll be our last day there. Besides, they're only cheerleaders, it's not like they'll bite your head off."

"Really, because I do remember these times that…"

"It's a metaphor dork! Now come on, let's get going"

"Um ok, but Claire?"

"What?"

"You're going to have to let go in order for me too move" _What? Where did that come from?! I don't want to let go!!_

"Oh, um…right"

As Zach saw her walk away, he did what every red-blooded American male would; he cursed himself mentally for his stupidity. He felt so empty without her closeness. _It's gonna be a long day…_


	3. One Step Forward

Unsung Heroes

By: Ro

Chapter 3: One Step Forward

AN's:

"Heroes" isn't mine, just playing with the characters.

Since I couldn't find a decent English to spoken Japanese translator, let's just assume that when Hiro and Ando are talking to one another, it's in Japanese. Yay Imagination….

Haitian man's words are in **bold**

Thoughts are in _italics_

Thoughts heard by Matt in **_bold italics_**

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Hiro Nakamura and Ando

New York

"Well that could have gone better."

"What do you mean? Now my sister can head up my family's company and I'm free to fulfill my destiny."

"I meant things between your sister and me. Now that she's heading the company she won't have time to spend with me!"

"Even if she had the time she wouldn't. Focus Ando, we need to find that sword so I can get my powers back. Maybe if we can track down the Mr. Isaac, he can paint me a picture of the sword's exact location."

"There you go again with that 'we'."

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Union Wells High School

Odessa, TX

After three years of high school, Claire finally learned what all adults do when they look back; the high school hierarchy was pure crap. Zach quickly called off the stares from his fellow "outcasts", as the cheerleaders liked to call them, with a few well placed glares. As the cheerleaders called them? _Hell, like I used to call them._

Speaking of the natzi-she devils, there they were, looking at her like she'd spit in their faces just by walking to class with her best friend. They didn't dare say anything too loudly; the memory of how she punched out Jackie must've been fresh in their heads. Fresh or not, as soon as Zach headed off down a side corridor, the defacto-head cheerleader came swooping down on her.

"What is the matter with you, Claire? Hanging out with some loser like him, what are you trying to straighten him out or something?"

"I was just walking with him! He's my best friend after all, how is that wrong?" I swear if I hear one more joke about Zach, someone's going to get hurt…again…

"Friends? Come on Claire, I know you're nice and all but this is going too far. I mean, this is, like, disrespecting Jackie's memory or something! You don't have to risk your reputation just to make him popular; I mean I'm sure he's used to being alone."

CRACK _Good thing the hall's nearly empty…that felt way too good._

"OW!! What the hell Claire?!"

"Shut up!! You don't even know what it feels like to be alone! You don't have a clue! You think just because you're popular and crap, that you can judge other people?! You're in for a shock once you start having real problems!"

As Claire looked around and took in the astonished stares of the stragglers in the hallway, she suddenly realized that she'd outgrown this place. Maybe it was the recent events at homecoming, maybe it was something else entirely, but she couldn't continue to play these petty games. She couldn't pretend that prom dresses and dates we're her biggest problems. She needed to find Zach and they needed to get as far away from this place as possible. There was nothing here for her anyway.

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Bridge Filming Area

Odessa, TX

"Claire, our flight doesn't take off until midnight. Don't tell me we're going to kill all these hours by filming you trying to kill yourself."

"Of course not dork, we're just here to visit a friend, and then you're going to take me to see my mom one more time before we leave for New York."

"I am? Well thanks for keeping me in the loop."

If Claire hadn't spotted the Haitian man leaning against the remnants of the structure, she would have responded with her usual playful shove. This was going to be a difficult one to pull off, she needed to step lightly. _Can't forget to stay between him and Zach incase he tries to pull his memory voodoo again._

"Claire, who is he?"

"He's a friend of my dad's."

"What?! Claire he'll rat us out! We'll get caught before we even get to the plane!"

"Just trust me on this one, please?"

"Fine, but if he tries anything.."

"**I see you brought him back, a wise decision. This time I will erase more of his memories.**"

"You'll what?!"

"No! That's not why I asked to meet you here. I, we, need your help. We need you to spy on my father for us, and visit us every now and then in New York to give us your information."

"**Absolutely not, I will not spy on your father for you or anyone.**"

"Why not? He's using you, using your power for his own purposes."

"**Many years ago, he…did much for my family. Even though they my wife and daughter are gone now, I will not repay his kindness by breaking his confidence.**"

"Whatever you think you owe him apparently doesn't matter; you left me my memories after all."

"…"

"What would your daughter think? You're working for a man who manipulates his wife and daughter, who hides the truth, who wants to control me and those like me!"

"…"

"All I'm asking is that you stay current with what he's up too and tell us. You can do that much, can't you?"

"…**very well child, I will be your eyes and ears. Just remember that what your father does, he does because he loves you.**"

"Thank you…" _He loves me enough to isolate me like an animal._

"So you're the guy who took my memories?! Can you give them back, or unblock them, or whatever it is that you do?"

"**My gift does not work that way."**

"So you just go into people's heads and rip out what you can't put back?! What the hell is your problem?!"

"Zach, come on, he said he couldn't do anything. I wish he could too, but he can't, let's get going."

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Kermit Co. Trailer Park

"…Wait, so you're telling me that my father is some politician in New York named Nathan Petrelli?"

"Yes, I'm sorry I didn't tell you sooner. It's just that, well, I think you have a right to know. I guess I shouldn't be going all mother-like on you after all these years, but I can't help it."

"Thanks for telling me, at least one of my parents thinks I can handle honesty. Look, I'm going to be leaving tonight. There are others out there mom, other people like us. Maybe if I find them, I'll be able to figure out what I'm supposed to do with this power. Who knows, maybe my dad has a power too"

"I guess you can't tell me where you're going?"

"No, sorry, I wish I could."

"It's ok honey, every woman has her secrets. Speaking of secrets, who's the boy outside in the car?"

"Oh, he's an old friend."

"Uh-huh."

"It's not what you're thinking, we're not like that. He is coming with me though, so if you hear about our disappearances, don't worry."

"Funny, I didn't say anything about what I was thinking…"

"I…um…have to go. Take care mom."

"You too honey."

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Matt Parkman's Residence

"You're leaving me?! What about us? What about your child?!" **_Worthless prick!!_**

"Janice, please listen, I'm doing this for all of us. There are others like me, others who have powers. Like this Peter Petrelli, I heard that he tried to take a woman's purse and then disappeared into thin air! If I can find him, then I can figure out why I have this power!"

"LIAR!! This about that woman Audrey isn't it!" **_I knew that bastard was cheating on me!!_**

"I am not cheating on you!"

"Stop doing that!"

"I need to do this Janice, for us, for our kid. I'll be back. If you need me, just call. I love you."

"Matt! Matt get your ass back here!" **_Jerk!!_**

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Plane cabin

"I can't believe we actually pulled that off!

"Believe it, airport security may be tougher these days, but at the smaller airports it's hardly any different than the pre-911 set ups. We'll have to be really careful when we hit the other end of this flight, big cities are bound to have more thorough people."

"More careful, got it."

"We should get some rest; it'll be a long flight. Claire?"

Apparently, he'd been talking to a brick wall. Claire had just fallen asleep, and decided to use his shoulder as a pillow. She really did look great as a redhead with green eyes, not as beautiful as her natural self, but she still managed to turn heads on the plane. He laid his head over hers and drifted off into one of those rare, peaceful sleeps.

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Undisclosed Location

Sylar's POV

He loved being free again. Free to hunt for the others, the other special ones. Once he absorbed all their powers, he would be the special one. Even at this very moment, he could feel the powers he already collected surging through him, like the electrical currents he'd recently learned to control.

Then, his worst nightmare came true. He felt his powers leaving him, every last one. He felt empty, like he had for previous years. Panic filled him as he looked around and saw only one man in the vicinity.

The man was staring at him like he could see right through him. He was extremely intimidating, built like an NFL player; the scars that covered his dark skin gave witness to his harsh past. He didn't speak a word, but the darkness emanating off of him was almost palpable.

"Hello Mr. Sylar."  
"Who the hell are you?! What have you done to me?!"

"You are not the only special one here Mr. Sylar, I am special too. Your powers are great, but mine invalidates them all. I believe we have similar goals. I believe we can help each other. I seek to eliminate those with powers, you seek to have those powers, and we could be of use to one another."

"Interesting, what's your name?"

"I have no name, for identification purposes you may call me Letalis. Do you have any leads on any others?"

"One, 'save the cheerleader, save the world'"

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Plane Cabin

'Achoo'

"Ow!"

"Sorry Zach."

Claire's sneeze snapped Zach out of a very nice dream; he really shouldn't have rested his chin on her head. The passengers around them smiled silently as the teens went back to sleep in their cozy corner. _Ah to be young again…_


	4. Author's Notes

**Author's Note**

I'd like to thank every one that has read and reviewed my fic. You're feedback is very much appreciated

Sorry that I forgot the disclaimer stuff NBC, thanks for not suing me for money I don't have. All chapters reposted with Disclaimer now.

I've noticed that certain formatting aspects get lost in the uploading process. So all chapters have been reposted with these little formatting errors corrected. Also, some grammar mistakes that slipped through the cracks have been fixed too.

AU vs. Cannon

I've found that I can't completely integrate my story into the actual storyline of the show, so it will be AU as of "Distraction"

I'm still going to try and integrate as many details as possible from the show into my storyline in different ways. So instead of posting constant spoiler warnings, let's just say that there is a constant spoiler warning on all chapters, that includes anything up to the most recent episode. I may not actually use comments that can be classified as spoilers, but the possibility is there.

Chapter 4 Preview: Two Steps Back:

Heroes begin to gather in New York. Will they be able to band together to stop the bomb?


	5. Two Steps Back

Unsung Heroes

By: Ro

Chapter 4: Two Steps Back

AN's

I don't own Heroes, wish I did though

Thoughts in _italics_

Thoughts heard by Matt in **_bold italics_**

All chapters reposted with small grammar and formatting corrections, forgive the lapse in courtesy good readers

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Matt Parkman

New York

As he walked down the crowded New York streets, Matt realized that getting close to a politician was easier said than done. His detective buddies often told stories of being trapped in red tape, but this was ridiculous. Every avenue he pursued lead to a dead end, every informant refused to talk, and even their thoughts yielded no information.

Matt really did hate the city. For more than an hour now he'd heard nothing but negative thoughts. _What happened to the world_? He hoped his son or daughter didn't grow up to be like these poor people.

_**Who is this Sylar character? I can't wait for the next issue!!**_

That snapped Matt out of his reverie. He looked around frantically, searching for the source of the thought. _There!_ Two feet to his left there was a kid who was busy reading some comic book.

"Hey kid, mind if I see that?"

"What the hell, man?! I'm reading it!"_ **Crap, I hope he doesn't search my back pocket, that weed cost me a lot of dough!**_

"Here's 10 bucks, give me the comic and I won't arrest you for the dope you have in your pocket."

If he hadn't been busy flipping through the comic, Matt would've taken the time to enjoy the wide-eyed stare of the kid as he ran off. On the last page was the drawing that the kid had seen, a shadowy figure named Sylar standing over a pile of bodies. One of those bodies looked eerily familiar, it wasn't until he saw the badge that Matt realized that the body was his.

Whoever drew this comic definitely knew something, about the Sylar murders, or maybe even other people with powers. He had to find out who this Isaac Mendez was; it had to be easier than tracking down Nathan Petrelli. He took out his phone and dialed a familiar number…

"Audrey? It's Matt; I need you to find the address of a person named Isaac Mendez…"

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Hiro and Ando

New York

"Hiro, come on we don't have time for this! Like you said, we need to see Mr. Isaac."  
"Come on Ando, a hero needs his nourishment!"

"What if Linderman has already moved the sword or worse, destroyed it? I'm telling you, we just don't have the time."

"Nonsense, there's always time for waffles! So who's paying?"

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Peter Petrelli

New York: Nathan Petrelli's campaign headquarters

Peter winced as he held the icy pouch against his jaw. That Claude guy had a mean left hook but, to his credit, he had averted a major disaster. _Speaking of blowups, I wonder what sort of lecture Nathan will be spouting at me today…_

"What the hell happened to you?"

"Nice to see you to Nathan, how's the campaign running?"

"Nevermind that, you shouldn't have run off after that last hospital visit."

"Sorry, I had things to do."

"Sure you did, look, I called you up because I need a favor."

"Nathan, I don't have time, I need to find out a way to stop my powers from.."

"Shut up!! I don't want to hear about your delusions, and I certainly don't want others hearing them either."

"So that time on the roof, was that some sort of team delusion?"

"…This isn't about you, it's about me."

"Gee, I'm shocked…"

"A long time ago, I was involved with a woman named Meredith. I recently found out that she, and our daughter, didn't die in a fire like I'd thought. She just called me and said that my daughter, this Claire Bennet, recently took off. She didn't tell Meredith where she was going, only that she was going to look for her dad. This Claire might be in New York, I want you to find her, help her out."

"….help her out?"

"Well I obviously can't search for her. Imagine what the media would think. Still, there's no reason why she has to go through this world alone, without any sort of family. Find her and be there for her if possible."

"I….wow….looks like the tin man's grown a heart."

"Leak this to the press and I'll bury you, got it little brother?"

"There's the Nathan I know. I'll try and find her, but I won't make any promises."

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Claire and Zach

New York

Claire's POV

Walking around New York was a culture shock to say the least. It really was like an entirely different world. Everything was so packed together, bigger, and much more fast-paced than Odessa. Claire had to constantly remind herself not to stare around so much, no point in drawing attention to her and Zach.

Speaking of Zach, he seemed a bit edgy. Always looking around at all of the people near them, edging closer and a little in front of Claire every time someone came a little too close for comfort_. It's not like I can be hurt anyway. It's still nice of him I guess, I'm glad he's here anyway._

"So, where was this Suresh guy going to hold the conference at?"

"Some auditorium a few blocks south of here. How about some lunch first?"

"Sure, this café looks good."

As Claire walked into the restaurant, she saw the one person she never thought she'd see again, Peter Petrelli. He was standing near a corner booth sipping coffee, which he almost dropped because of the mass of blonde hair that suddenly obscured his vision. She'd never been a particularly intimate person, but seeing him, seeing someone like her, triggered the old need for acceptance and reassurance.

Unfortunately he was still a stranger. He may have saved her life, but they never were properly introduced. _It's been awhile since I've been this embarrassed…_

"Oh no, I'm so sorry about your coffee!"

"It's alright, it happens….what are you doing here?"

"My friend Zach and I are here looking for you and others, the name's Claire by the way."

"Claire? Your last name wouldn't be Bennet would it?"

"Yeah it is, why?"

"Please sit down, we need to talk…"

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Zach's POV: A couple of hours later

"Wait, so you're telling me that you're my uncle? Then you must know my father. This…This is all too much."

While Claire put her head on her hands, a quick glance was exchanged between Zach and Peter. Nothing was said, but Zach knew things were about to get worse. He may not have liked this man, but, at some level, Zach was glad that Claire had a found a family member. Not just a blood connection, but another person with powers like hers. It would go a long way to making her feel more secure and confident about herself. _He looks like he's enjoying that hug a little too much though!_

"Well, I am your uncle, but I don't think I can help you meet your father."

"What?! Why not?!!"

"It's, um, complicated. My brother is a good person….deep, deep down. It's just that right now, his political career is important to him. It doesn't justify him not being there for you. I, well I can't make it up to you for him. Right now, we have other worries though, like finding the others…"

"The others?!!! He's my father dammit! W-Why doesn't he want too…"

Zach could see the meltdown coming from a mile away. The shivering shoulders, the quivering bottom lip, if he had been sitting across from her he could've seen her eyes start to mist over. Claire could be a strong person, but this really was too much for anyone to handle. He put his arm around her and did his best to calm her down.

"Claire, It's ok. Look around, you've got family now, an uncle, and friends."

"Zach, he's my dad! How could he not want to see me?"

"I don't know, but that's his loss. Remember why we came here, to find the others like you. I know it sounds lame, but these people share more in common with you than some deadbeat who abandoned his wife and kid."

"Is it because he knows about my freaky powers?"

"You're not a freak Claire, and I'm sure your gift has nothing to do with why your dad doesn't want to see you, right Peter?"

"Absolutely, actually, both my brother and I have powers."

"Really?! What can he do?"

"He can fly."

"Wow, some family."

"What do you mean?"

"My mother, my biological mother, she can control fire."

"What about you're adopted parents, your father for example, does he have a power?"

"I, um, I really should go freshen up…"

While the hasty exit came as no surprise to Zach, confusion was plain on Peter's face. _That's what he gets for pushing the wrong button!_

"Did I say something wrong?"

"No, Claire's gone through a lot these past few weeks."

"….Ok, so what do you know about her parents?"

"What I know, I can't tell you, sorry."

"Why not?"

"Up to now, Claire's life has been full of people she can't trust, her parents, her so called 'friends', even strangers who want to kill her for her power. She needs to know that there are people she can trust, people she can confide in when the world goes to hell. Claire's trusted me, I can't betray that trust. When she's ready to talk, she'll talk."

"Fair enough, I guess…"

"Have you met anyone else, anyone who has powers like Claire's?"

"Yeah, I've met many people with powers, but none like hers."

"Can you take us to them?"

"I've lost track of most of them, but I still know where to find one, a man named Isaac Mendez. He's a painter who paints the future."

"Excellent, we can…"

"Hey guys, what did I miss?"

"Nothing Claire, Peter was just telling me that there's a painter who sees and paints the future."

"Do you think he can tell us where to find the others, maybe paint a picture of where they'll be?"

"Maybe, it's worth a shot."

"We should get going, hopefully Isaac hasn't moved since the last time I saw him."

"Alright, I guess we'll see Mr. Suresh later. Zach, could you pay for this? I'm a little short."

Zach turned his head and cocked an eyebrow at his, once again, cheerful friend. He was just about to say "no" when she flashed him that radiant smile. _Oh well, if it makes her happy, why not? Man, I'm such a sap…_

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AN

Grr….it's much harder to write the "Jealous, but understanding" mood than I thought it would be. What do you all think, section rewrite or move on?

Chapter 5 Preview: The Meeting

Our cast of heroes meets at Isaac's loft. What will the painter reveal? How will our heroes realize their full potential? Will they do it in time to stop the bomb? Stay tuned to find out!


	6. The Meeting

Unsung Heroes

By: Ro

Chapter 5: The meeting

AN's

This is definitely going to be AU as of Unexpected. I'm assuming no connection between Mohinder and Sylar, and that Ando stays with Hiro.

Loke14: Working on that slight chapter 4 rewrite, it should be coming soon.

Thoughts in _italics_

I don't own Heroes, I just play with them

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Isaac Mendez's loft, New York City

Isaac Mendez

Isaac was certainly not, nor had ever been, a social person. That was part of the reason he turned to art at such a young age. That was also the reason he was feeling so uncomfortable at the moment.

It started like an average day, he got up and ate a small breakfast and got right to painting. Then he heard a knock on his door. He shook his head to snap himself out of his trance and went to answer the door, hoping that his cloudy white pupils had reverted back to normal already. It turned out to be Hiro and Ando.

"Hello Mr. Eye-sack!"

"Sorry for the intrusion Mr. Isaac. Could we come in and rest awhile? It's been a long day."

"Uh sure, make yourselves comfortable…"

As soon as Isaac had seen that his guests were comfortable in the living room he went back to his painting area. He had barely dipped his brush into a paint can when he heard another knock at the door. This time Ando popped his head in before Isaac went for the door.

"Mr. Isaac, it's a cop. Perhaps we should hide?"

"Hmm….no, just make sure Hiro stays out of sight for awhile." _It's going to be one of those days._

So fast forward a few hours and Isaac was in the midst of a situation he'd never thought possible. His living room was full of people, not just normal people either, others like himself. The cop from earlier, a scruffy looking man who was with him, a dark skinned man who never said a word, an Indian scientist, Hiro, Ando, Peter Petrelli, the cheerleader he painted, and her friend all gathered together with unintentional but impeccable timing.

The Indian scientist, who introduced himself as a Mr. Mohinder Suresh, got up and began one of the weirdest explanations Isaac had ever heard. Then again, he could paint the future, so did he really have any right to call anything weird?

"My name is Dr. Mohinder Suresh, and you all are here because you carry genetic markers that alter your physiology and extend your capabilities beyond normal human boundaries. They…"

"In English doc, we don't all have PhD's after all."

Everyone in the room managed to crack a smile despite the serious atmosphere. Ted Sprague really did have a knack for summing things up quite nicely. Matt just rolled his eyes and Dr. Suresh looked a bit sheepish; clearly this wasn't a man who was used to being rebutted.

"Of course, my apologies everyone. You all have abilities that are a result of a difference in the information you carry in your DNA. My father, Dr. Chandra Suresh, compiled a list of people with these abilities. Unfortunately, this list does not contain the nature of a person's ability, just their names and last known addresses."

"That's great Dr. Suresh, but I'm here to get more information about a man named Sylar, he's been implicated in various murders that my partner and I have worked on…"

"Sylar?! How do you know about Sylar?"

"Please Gentleman, let me finish. Mr. Parkman, Sylar is also on this list, he is one of you. His real name is Gabriel Gray. He's hunting down the people on this list and killing them."

"He's doing worse than that Dr. Suresh."

"What do you mean Mr. Petrelli?"

"Did you meet him?"

"Yes"

"Did he have telekinesis?"

"No, if my memory serves me right, his power was being able to understand how anything works, an odd power but useful none the less."

"…..That must have been why he was after you Claire!"

"You think he wanted my power? I just thought he wanted to kill me because of it, not take it."

"Of course he wanted your power, who wouldn't? He must have killed someone with telekinesis before he went after you."

"I'm sorry, but I am quite confused…"

"Welcome to our world doc…"

"Perhaps now would be a good time to stop and properly get acquainted."

Everyone looked around the room at one another suspiciously. Some had spent most of their lives hiding their powers; others had grown so jaded with the world that they had a hard time trusting anyone. Matt, for instance, was worried about revealing anything to the dark-skinned Haitian, and Ted looked like he was ready to jump out of his skin. _Well I guess I'm going to have to break the ice…_

"Sounds like a good idea. My name is Isaac Mendez. I can paint the future."

"I..am…Hiro Nakamura. I can…bend space and time. I can also...teleport. This is my friend Ando-kun."

"Matt Parkman. I hear people's thoughts."

"You can read my thoughts? How fascinating."

"Not right now doctor, he blocks my power."

"……."

"Well, what's your name?"

"…..My name is unimportant. I can block telepathy and erase people's memories"

"That's quite a power."

"The name's Ted, I can control, and spontaneously emit, radiation."

"Peter Petrelli. I guess you could say I'm a mimic. I can absorb other people's power and use them by thinking about the ones who I copied them from. I know of two others, my brother Nathan who can fly, and an invisible man named Claude."

"I'm Claire, well, I guess you could say I'm invincible. My body heals any sort of damage really quickly. Oh, and this is my friend Zach."

"Sorry to interrupt, but we have a more pressing issue than Sylar. Namely Peter nuking New York."

"Excuse me? What are you talking about Isaac?"

"It's better to show you, 'picture's worth a thousand words' and all that, and I've got a lot of pictures."

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Isaac Mendez's loft, NYC

Zach

Isaac led the group across the loft to the area where he kept most of his paintings. Peter, Hiro, Ando, and the Haitian moved forward somberly while the rest followed suit in a more confused manner. _How is this guy going to nuke New York?_

It was a lot of information to take in at once. Not only were there others like Claire, but they had such a variety of powers. Zach felt kind of inadequate in their presence. _Oh well, at least Claire's happy._

Despite the serious subject matter, Claire seemed to perk up as each person introduced themselves and their power. It was like she considered herself less of a freak when she was around them. He wished she could make her feel that secure, that happy. All thought ceased for a moment when Isaac revealed two of his paintings. _Oh shit, he wasn't kidding…_

One of the paintings took up 3 canvases and showed a New York landscape destroyed and abandoned. The other showed a man who resembled Peter, but drawn broken apart and painted orange and red like an explosion. He looked around and saw the reality sinking in to everyone's face.

"Since I've absorbed so many different powers, they sometimes mix together and get out of control. Telekinesis, future sight, healing, and flight, it all gets to be too much for my body to handle. If I absorb too many other powers, they'll mix together and cause this."

"Are you sure it isn't me that's going to explode? If anyone's going to turn into a nuke, it'd be me."

"Yeah not to mention it happened once already Ted, at that hospital."

"Thanks for reminding me Matt."

"No, after I saw Isaac paint I had a vision of myself later. It was, is, definitely going to be me."

"Well, Hiro can control time right? Why doesn't he just slow down time when it happens, to give Peter time to get himself under control?" _Hah, why couldn't she have been this sharp in her classes?_

"I…no longer have…my power."

"Why not?"

"Ever since….Charlie died…..my power does not work. I need a sword to…help focus my power."

"Who's…"

Zach quickly moved forward and squeezed Claire's shoulder. This was definitely not something Hiro wanted to talk about. A topic change would do this situation some good.

"So, if you had this sword, the whole slow motion thing would work right?"

Hiro looked extremely relieved, and Claire looked more than a little put off at being interrupted, even more so by the fact that it was her friend interrupting her. _Lesser of the two evils, I guess…_

"Yes, it would. The sword is being….held by a man….named Linderman"

"Hmmm….Dr. Suresh, do you have a laptop with you?"

"Yes, why?"

"Is it equipped with a Wireless connection?"

"Yes."

"Then I think I can find where that sword is."

"That's excellent Zach, but before you start, there's one more painting I need to show you all."

When he uncovered the last painting, Zach could feel a collective cringe from everyone there. It was just a footnote though, because he could also hear Claire's shocked gasp and feel her hand grab onto his shoulder. It took awhile for him to register it all, but when it did, he realized why Claire reacted that way.

The painting centered on a large, shadow figure looming over a bunch of dead bodies. The scenery behind it was unclear, but what was clear was that all the bodies around the figure were those of the people in the loft. Matt, Hiro, Ando, Peter, the Haitian, Ted, even Zach himself were laying around the figure. Claire was there as well, but not dead, just looking up at that figure in fear. _Definitely not looking forward to that, but at least Claire's alive._

"I-Is that the Sylar person who tried to kill me before?"

"No, it is someone else. I don't know how I know, but I remember feeling differently when I painted the shadow of Sylar. When I painted this one I felt, a rage, an anger that far surpasses what I felt when I painted Sylar. It's someone else, some other threat."

"Look, this is horrible stuff, but we need to focus on the more concrete threat. Do you know when Peter is going to explode? No offense man." _Yeah that's it, sound like you can blow off seeing your own body._

"Around two weeks from now."

"Then we need to get Hiro his sword, quickly. Dr. Suresh, I need to use your laptop if you don't mind."

"Of course not Zach, it's on the counter in the kitchen."

"Thank you."

Zach was about to go see what he could dig up about that sword when he was pulled back. Claire was still holding on to his arm. He smiled and whispered something to her before pulling away.

"It'll be ok Claire."

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NYC Penthouse

Letalis and Sylar

Letalis's POV

The scarred, dark skinned man sat back in his chair doing what he did best, thinking. He looked out of his window and saw countless people scurrying about their lives. He was not like them, pampered like them, normal like them.

Unlike those ants, he grew up in an area ripe with instability. It was a place where family meant more than anything. It was only himself, his brother, their wives and children, and his parents. They lived in an old world, certainly not modern. The people there were less than modern too, when they found out about what his parents could do, the militia came and slaughtered them all, except himself and his brother who were out at the time. Then some man came out of nowhere and proposed a new life for his brother. Unlike his brother, Letalis had not shown any power that proved useful so he was left behind.

That's the tragedy these freaks caused. Their "gifts" elevated them above others, and left the rest of humanity in the dust. For their audacity, they must pay. They will pay. He did have a power; he could cancel out the gifts of the others. He would find them, eliminate them, and save his traitorous brother for last.

Luckily, his most recent associate was bringing that goal even closer for him. His crime organization proved useful as it supplied a never ending stream of enforcers and revenue. However, if this Sylar could really absorb all the gifts of those freaks, then he would only have to kill him to get rid of them all. _Speaking of the devil…_

"No luck in finding the cheerleader so far. But I did find a report on a museum display that contains some sword that focuses inner power. If I could get my hands on it…"

"Mr. Sylar, I am not placing my resources into your hands to satisfy your urges, I am doing so to find and destroy the others."

"You mean let me absorb their powers…"

"Of course Mr. Sylar, slip of the tongue."

"Well, I may not be the only one going after it, if someone else who's got a power sees the article they might come around too. It could be worth it to stake the place out."

"Now that sounds like a good idea."

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Isaac Mendez's loft, NYC

Claire

Claire was so glad almost everyone had left. Only Matt Parkman, the Haitian man, Zach, and Isaac were left in the apartment. The others had already retired to their separate hotels, promising to meet again in the morning.

All her life, Claire had yearned for acceptance, for a place to belong. When all these people had gathered, she'd felt that, and it felt wonderful. Just knowing that there were others out there like her made her feel less like a freak. Everything was going great until Isaac had unveiled that last painting.

Now she felt drawn to it and with everyone gone and Zach in the kitchen searching away, she could look at it without drawing attention. She saw everyone around that shadow dead, but her. Everyone, including Zach. She reached up to touch the painted form of her friend, the blood around him caused her heart to constrict and her eyes to mist over.

He was her best friend, the only one she could ever trust. He didn't deserve this; she shouldn't have let him come along. _What if this came true? What if I lost him? Who would I turn too then? God, how could I face his parents? I need to get him to go home._

"Don't even think about ditching me, as much as I'd love to explore the big city, there's no way I'm going to let you face this alone."

"Zach?!" _Geez, how does he do that?!_

"Sorry, didn't mean to shock you. Just thought I'd come in to say that I found the sword. It's at a museum gallery; they're having a show tomorrow. We could get in there and steal it."

"That's great Zach, but….you need to get out of here."

"Not a chance, didn't you hear me?"

"Yeah, but…what if it comes true, what if you…"

"Those paintings are of a possible future. We can change them, well, you all could change them. Maybe that's why you all have powers in the first place."

Claire couldn't even begin to finish her sentence. The thought of Zach not being around just couldn't register in her mind. He was here now though, and that was enough. Maybe he was right about the painting.

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Isaac Mendez's loft

Matt Parkman

It had been a long day. The silence in his head thanks to the presence of the Haitian had been unnerving. He was walking past the painting area of Isaac's loft before heading to his hotel when he nearly keeled over. The mental assault of thoughts almost brought him to his knees. _What the hell is going on?!_

He peeked in and saw that there were only two people in there, the cheerleader, Claire Bennet, and her friend Zach. He was too far away to hear what they were saying, but their thoughts were coming in loud and clear. _Teenagers….I wonder if the Haitian man is still around, or maybe the mimic can copy the telepathic block. These two are going to give me migraines._

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Post AN's

Extra helping of action in the next chapter, I promise! Scout's honor and all that jazz

Could anyone please tell me the name of the sword Hiro is after?

Chapter 6 Preview: The Sword of Ages (tentative title)

A small group of our Heroes attempt to retrieve the sword from Linderman's museum, Sylar is on the lookout. Who will win? Tune in to find out!


	7. The Sword of Kenshi

Unsung Heroes

By: Ro

Chapter 6: The Sword of Kenshi

AN's

Thoughts in _italics_

Flashbacks in **_bold italics_**

I don't own Heroes, I just play with them.

I'm so sorry I haven't updated in so long. That's college life for ya, troughs of inactivity followed by crests of insanity….Well thanks to all who reviewed, hope everyone enjoys the chapter

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Isaac's loft: 6.00 AM

Zach

Zach had lost track of time staring at the sunrise. Having never been up at anywhere near this time, he'd never seen one. He was standing near the window of the second story of Isaac's loft, wondering if Matt had come through for him…

"_**Hey Matt, wait up!"**_

"_**What is it Zach?"**_

"_**You're a cop right? You must have access to military equipment."**_

"…_**.Yeah I do, but I'm not going to smuggle out some weapons for you."**_

"_**That's not what I was going to ask, I need you to find this for me."**_

"_**This is a high end item Zach, I might be able to find it, but the chances are slim."**_

"_**I'm going to need it for tomorrow's job."**_

"_**I'll give it a shot kid, but I'm not making any promises."**_

"**_Fair enough, thanks man."_**

A soft knock at the door snapped Zach out of his reverie. He looked down and saw that it was Hiro and Ando. Even though it wasn't his apartment, Zach felt secure enough letting these two in. Isaac seemed like an easygoing guy, he probably wouldn't mind.

Zach fixed them a couple of cups of coffee and settled back in a chair with his headphones over his head. He must have dozed off for a minute, because when he woke up Hiro wasn't there, it was only Ando sitting across from him. He couldn't explain it, but he felt closer to Ando than any of the others, with the exception of Claire of course, they were in similar situations.

"Hey Ando, how's your English?"

"Fine, why?"

"Have you been traveling with Hiro for long?"

"I've known Hiro for quite a while, but we've only been traveling for a few weeks. With everything that goes on, it seems like longer."

"I'll bet, have you ever felt…like you let Hiro down because you don't have a power like he does?"

"…Sometimes I do. Then I remember that we all have skills, we are all here for a reason. In my case, I help Hiro communicate with others. I'm sure you're here for a reason too; perhaps to watch out for your friend, there must be many people who are after her for her power."

"Yeah, probably…"

"What about your parents? If you don't mind my asking."

"What about them?"

"They must be worried about you."

"No, they don't even know I exist anymore. The Haitian man pulled me aside before he left and told me that he erased their memories because Mr. Bennet ordered him too."

"He what?!"

Zach nearly choked on his coffee when he heard Claire He turned around and saw her in the doorway with such a shocked look on her face that, if it wasn't such a serious subject, he'd break down laughing. Even half-asleep, disheveled, and angry, Claire still looked amazing.

For his part, Ando just looked confused. After looking back and forth at the two teens he quickly realized that this wasn't something he needed to witness. What he needed to do was get out of there, quickly.

"I…uh…better go check on Hiro."

"Zach, please tell me that this is just another one of your jokes that I just don't get!"

"Sorry Claire, it's not. After he left, that Haitian guy came back for a minute. He scared the crap out of me when he came up behind me. That guy's like a damn ninja, I never heard him coming."

"So your parents, they just don't remember you ever existed?!"

"Nope, neither does anybody in Odessa. It looks like your dad had the Haitian guy working overtime lately."

"God Zach, I'm so sorry, I…"

"Don't! Don't apologize for the things he does! It isn't your fault."

"How can you be so calm about this?! It's like you don't even exist!"

"Claire, I spent 3 years 'not existing' at Union Wells. Trust me, it's not that bad. Besides, the only people in Odessa whose opinions matter to me are you and my parents. There's nothing I can do to help them right now, and you still know I exist. That's good enough for me."

"But, you…"

"Guys, what is going on down here? It's way too early in the morning for this kind of stuff."

"Sorry for waking you Isaac. Want some coffee?"

"Yeah, thanks. We better eat up; the others should be here shortly."

"I think I hear one of them now."

Zach left before Claire could gather her thoughts. He needed to; he was more upset by the fact that his own parents would no longer recognize him than he cared to admit. The fact was, they had bigger problems right now, between people turning into nukes, and shadows after them, soap opera-ish melodrama back home just didn't seem too important. _Hey, it's Matt. I hope he managed to get it._

"Did you find it?"

"Nice to see you too kid"

"Sorry, it's just that..uh…"

"I'm just messing with you, I found it."

"Thanks Matt."

"So, any ideas on how we're going to get this sword?"

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Japanese History Gallery (outside), NYC: 1:00 PM

Ted and Matt

Matt's POV

Matt couldn't believe he'd gotten himself into this. He'd lost count of how many laws he was helping these people break, and all for a sword. However, if what that painter had shown would come true, then he was helping to protect an entire city of people, including Janice and his child. His eyes shifted left and saw Ted being his usual jumpy self. _Let's hope we don't get surprised, or the bomb's going to go off a lot sooner than we thought…_

"Ready to cause some hell, Parkman?"

"You really enjoy this don't you Ted?"

"The way I see it, shit like this has got to draw out Bennet, and when he finally shows his face, nuke time!"

"You do know the blonde kid is his daughter right?"

"So what? She ran from him, doesn't sound like their's much love lost there."

"Guess not…"

"Enough talk! Let's get this done."

Matt kept watch in front of the alleyway behind the museum while Ted went to work. A quick shot of fission powered heat was enough to blow the fuse box that sent electricity to the museum. Now came the hard part, Ted had too somehow raise the temperature of the whole building in order to set off the emergency sprinklers; that would cause the mass evacuation they were hoping for. Ted placed his hands on the wall of the building and started the fission reaction.

"I don't see why we couldn't have just blown the roof off of this place!"

"That would've caused too many casualties."

"As long as we get the sword, does it even matter?"

"Just shut up and focus Ted!" _I hope the others are on schedule…_

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Japanese History Gallery (inside), NYC 1:05 PM

Claire, Zach, Hiro, Ando

Zach's POV

As the building got hotter and hotter, people began to run towards the exits instead of the usual calm evacuation. The sprinklers had just come on, making it harder for their group to fight the crowd and move further into the museum. _Guess that Ted guy is overdoing it; better get the sword quickly before he nukes this place by accident._ They reached the weapons exhibit not a moment too soon, Zach was starting to sweat from the rising temperatures.

"Claire, wrong way!!"

"You've got to keep up Zach!"

"We can't all be super athletic cheerleaders!"

"Guys, focus!!"

They finally got past all the confusing twists and turns of the museums to find themselves in a small room containing displays of various weapons and statues of warriors long gone. Zach was just about to try and figure out which one was the sword when Ando pointed to one held in a glass case near the second exit of the room, to their left.

"There it is!"

"Are you sure?"

"Yes, the plaque says '**zatou na Kenshi'. In English, that translates to 'The Sword of Kenshi'"**

**With that confirmation, Claire rushed forward and slammed her fists into and through the case, shattering it with a spectacular crash. Watching her heal never got old, and he figured it never would. After all, it wasn't an everyday occurrence.**

**Hiro stepped forward and retrieved the sheath that held the fabled sword. He slung it over his shoulder and, with his trademark shout of "Yata!!" withdrew the sword and promptly disappeared.**

**"What the hell was that? Claire, did you see….."**

**Claire obviously wasn't listening to him. She was looking behind him towards the place where they came in with a look of abject fear in her eyes. When Zach turned around he saw why.**

**In the entranceway were a group of 3 people. The one in the center was staring intently at Claire and Zach knew without a doubt that it was the guy who had tried to kill her before, Sylar. The one to his left looked like the stereotypical bouncer, freakishly large stature and built like a tank. The one on his right was a relatively smaller, but still threatening looking, man who had a something slung over his shoulder that looked a lot like the sheath that housed Hiro's blade.**

**"Bring the girl to me, kill the spares!!"**

**"Yes Sir!"**

**-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------**

**Pangea: Age of the Dinosaurs**

**Hiro Nakamura**

**Hiro looked around in shock, a second ago he was in a room full of weapons with Ando, Zach, and Claire, and now he was in a field with grass waist high. He looked up at the sky and saw it clearer than he'd ever seen it. It was crystal blue as far as the eye could see, and there were no buildings or even signs of people anywhere. _Charlie would have loved this._**

**_How did I get here?_ Only then did Hiro realize he was still holding the sword. _That's right!_ The sword focuses and increases inner power, his time control ability must have been magnified just by holding the sword. Unfortunately that meant he could be anywhere, anytime.**

**The era Hiro was in became abundantly clear when he felt the ground rumble. He looked behind him and saw the huge T-rex charging at him. The gigantic animal's roar nearly knocked him off of his feet. Hiro started to run, but a glint of sunlight from his sword stopped him.**

**_No, I can't run! The others need me, like Charlie needed me! What good is having this power if I'm too afraid to use it? Destiny chose me to have this gift, now I have to show that I am worthy!_**

**Hiro turned to face the oncoming T-rex, knowing full well it could be the last thing he'd ever do. He focused, hoped, and willed his power to work. The last thing he saw before the blackness consumed him was a slow motion view of the dinosaur's jaws blotting out the clear blue sky…**

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Japanese History Gallery (inside), NYC 1:08 PM

Claire, Zach, Ando

Zach's POV

After being slammed into the wall for what felt like the tenth time, Zach was starting to feel more beaten down than he'd ever thought possible. Looking to his left he saw Ando looking more tired than he felt, although in his defense, Ando had somehow managed to knock the larger thug unconscious. To his right was Claire, with her back against the wall, trying to get back up, with shards of glass being forced out of her body by her healing ability.

Sylar had finally joined the fight, using his telekinesis to break the glass cases and tossing the shards at Claire to stun her. Suddenly Zach saw his gaze shift to the body of the fallen Asian thug who had been impaled with glass sent flying by Sylar. A large, glistening, dual-edged blade came floating out of the sheath that was still slung over the dead man's shoulder.

The blade flew forward with astonishing speed. Zach knew Claire, being so used to her near-invincibility, wouldn't bother dodging, but that blade was at a really bad angle. He could only hope that he'd lunged in time to intercept it…

"AARRGHH!!"

The vest he was wearing might have neutralized most of the acid and absorbed a good amount of the force, but it still sent Zach to a whole new level of pain. Having a blade sticking out of him was certainly not how he'd envisioned this day ending up. At least it was a shallow wound, what a time to learn that having 'just a flesh wound' meant more than it did on TV and in the movies.

Zach felt a little woozy as he removed the very tip of the blade from his torso with his cloth covered hand. All he could register in his mind were flashes of blonde hair, sounds of gunfire from whom he could only guess to be Matt, and Sylar running off. Then he unceremoniously hit the floor, the pain from the stab wound and the acid burns finally plunging him into unconsciousness.

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Isaac's loft, NYC: 8:00 PM

Claire's POV

_How had things gone so wrong?_ In the panic at the museum, Matt hadn't seen Mr. Bennet and the shape shifter partner of his. They got Ted when Matt had rushed inside to take out Sylar, who had also escaped. Hiro still hadn't returned from wherever he disappeared too, and Peter was doing what he could for Zach.

"I'm no doctor, but I think he'll be alright in a day or two. Somehow that vest stopped most of the damage."

"Thanks Peter. Is he awake?"

"Yeah, but….hey!!"

Claire had just rushed past Peter and into the room where Zach was staying and closed the door. Zach was sitting up in a small bed with his back against the wall, looking tired but alive. _Thank god, or whoever's out there…_

"What the hell is your problem Zach?!"

"Uh, well Peter said it was just a few bruised ribs and…"

"No! You take a blade for me? For someone who's basically invincible?! What, did you start smoking something and not tell me?! 'There's no way I'm going to let you face this alone', remember that?! What was that all crap?!"

Claire almost took back her words at seeing Zach's confused and angry look in his eyes. She couldn't though, because the anger felt good. It was safe, it covered all the other feelings she couldn't even bring to her conscious mind.

"Your power may be cool and all that, but you're not invincible Miracle-Gro."

"What?! Have you forgotten all those times at the bridge? The woodchipper? The garbage disposal?"

"Haven't you ever noticed that all those times your body's repaired itself by building from stuff that's still there? Like the garbage disposal, your fingers grew back because they were still attached! Your power isn't invincibility, its regeneration. Those blades were coming at your neck, with enough speed to take your head off! Without your brain to guide the process, there would be no 'growing back….aaah!!

At that last part, Zach had tried to stand up and his body was apparently not ready. Before she could even think about what he had just finished saying, Claire was at his side holding him up. _Damn you Zach, why do you have to be such a great friend?_

"So, what is this thing, or was this thing?"

"You sure change tracks pretty fast"

"Shut up" It feels great to be back to normal…

"Alright, alright, just stop punching me! It's a kind of bullet proof vest. It's got some kind of special fiber woven into it. I can't remember what it's called, but it came up when I was researching the sword. The fiber is so dense that it stops blades and even small amounts of acids. I figured it might be useful, so I got Matt to find it for me. Too bad it's too messed up to use anymore."

"Well at least it kept you alive…I guess you really should rest, um, I'm sorry about how I came in here."

"Don't worry about it, we all have bad days."

"….Zach?"

"Yeah?"

"Promise me you'll never do something like that again. I've lost everyone, Mom, Dad, Lyle, if I lost you…"

"I can't promise that Claire. I don't have Miracle-Gro in my blood so I guess I should be more careful, but I meant what I said yesterday."

Claire walked away towards the door with her mind swirling. She was thinking back over all her exploits. Zach was right, she wasn't immortal, and she wasn't as much of a freak as she had thought. _Thanks Zach…_

Just as Claire was about to turn the doorknob and enter her room, Hiro popped out of thin air two inches behind her. After her heart started beating again, she saw that Hiro was dripping with sweat and looked like he'd seen a ghost.

"Hiro! Where have you been?! What happened?!"

"There was a dinosaur...Mr. Eyesack's painting it came true! The sword, it really works!!"

As Hiro babbled on in Japanese about his adventures, Claire guided him down the hall to the kitchen, hoping that there was at least some stale coffee for the man. It was going to be a long night…

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Post AN's

The fiber was Dyneema, it really is used in high end bullet proof vests. If you're interested in looking into it further, check out Wikipedia's article on Dyneema. It's a good starting place.

Chapter 7 Preview: The Bomb

It finally happens! The event that all our Heroes have feared! How will they deal with it? What will happen to Peter?! Stay tuned to find out!


	8. The Bomb Part I

Unsung Heroes

by: Ro & SkyRogue0567

Chapter 7: The Bomb Part I

AN's:

Chapters 7-9 are co-authored chapters, a result of excellent teamwork between SkyRogue and myself. I couldn't have done it without her, so three cheers for her!

I don't own Heroes. If I did, I'd have done all I could to keep Zach on, Claire's character is lacking without him.

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New York, 5:00 AM

D.L and Micah

D.L.'s POV

D.L. gripped his coffee cup with one hand like it contained gold, and kept his other hand on Micah's shoulder. He'd lived in Vegas long enough to know that these big cities were home to a lot of different dangers. On the other hand, Micah could probably outsmart any predator without even trying.

In their travels, he had learned that Micah's intelligence combined with his power over technology was truly a force to be reckoned with. D.L had to admit that without it, traveling here would have been much more difficult, probably even impossible. However, power and perceptiveness aside, Micah was still a bit naïve due to his age.

When D.L. saw yet another photo of a man on the bedside drawer he knew Jessica was working for Linderman again. He loved her, but she couldn't be trusted right now. The only choice left was to take Micah again and put as much distance between Jessica and them as possible.

In this electronic age, it was almost impossible to run without leaving some kind of trail behind. Back in the day, D.L. had never put much stock in book learning, preferring to school himself (and sometimes getting schooled) in the ways of street life. So, while he could take care of himself and those he cared about without much problem, actually managing to plan an escape that couldn't be traced was beyond him.

That's where Micah came in handy. With the insatiable curiosity of a child, he absorbed information at an astonishing rate, applied it with ease, and could recall even the smallest detail. Ironically, he could also rationalize theft and deception better than most professional crooks. Needless to say, this bothered D.L. constantly and he planned to talk to Micah about it later, but since it was key to their survival right now he thought it best to let sleeping dogs lie.

"Hey Dad, check this out! It's the new edition of my favorite comic! Dad? Hey Dad! Are you awake?"

"Micah, it's 5 in the morning and I'm just starting my cup of coffee. What do you think?"

"I think we need to hit another ATM, this comic just cost us the last of our money."

D.L. coughed up the coffee he was sipping at the time. _Great, I'm raising a little gangster. Jessica's going to kill me_.

"I hope it was worth it."

"Actually, I think it was. Doesn't this Japanese guy here remind you of that guy we met back in the Vegas desert?"

"Sort of, but that could just be a coincidence."

"Read on, it says he has the power of time control. That can't just be a coincidence. Maybe the person who draws these knows them; we should find this….Isaac Mendez."

"Easier said than done, remember this is a huge place. Hundreds of thousands of people live here, finding some small time artist could take awhile."

"Not if we sneak into one of those internet cafés, I could use a computer to hack into the city's census records and find his last known address."

"Sounds like a plan, lead on boy wonder…"

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New York City, 7:30 AM

Isaac's loft

Isaac's POV

Isaac rubbed the sleep out of his eyes as he contemplated going to wake up his new roommates. He really didn't want to leave the kitchen full of hard-earned, and delicious, breakfast aromas, but he needed to alert them to what he had just seen and apparently sketched on the notepad he kept in there. It was an old abandoned building with a decrepit sign hanging over it that read "Graymalkin General". There was also a halo of what looked like radioactivity around it, clearly indicating that it had something to do with the capture of their new comrade Ted.

As he went down the hall to the room where Zach was staying, Isaac sent up prayers to every known deity that Claire had, at some point during the night, left and went to her own room. Finding them together would just add a whole new level of awkwardness that he didn't need.

Thankfully, those prayers were answered and he found Zach sleeping alone. Isaac shook him awake and told him that breakfast was ready and to wake Claire and come have some. He'd have gone to wake her himself, but yet another early morning visitor was at his door knocking rather forcefully.

When Isaac opened the door he saw a large, disgruntled looking man who had a small child with him. If it hadn't have been for the child, Isaac would have immediately shut the door. The man looked like a stereotypical bouncer and Isaac wasn't particularly fond of being shaken down for the rent.

"Hello, are you Mr. Isaac Mendez?"

"That depends, who wants to know?"

"Do you have a power like us? Is that how you can paint about people that actually exist, like Hiro?"

"Micah!"

The kid, Micah, was evidently the curious type. Judging by what he said, Isaac figured their little group was going to get a little bigger today.

"I think we need to sit and talk. Please come in, have you all had breakfast yet?"

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NYC, 7:30 AM

Zach's POV

It had been a long night for Zach; the injuries from the blade bothered him a little more than he cared to admit. The last thing he remembered was Claire saying she had to go after spending a few hours back in his room reminiscing about the old days. The days before her power had manifested, they truly were the embodiment of "the good ol days".

The next thing he knows, Isaac is shaking him awake and telling him to go eat breakfast. Honestly, it irks him to be ordered around like that, it reminds him of being back home. They were staying with a man who was kind enough not to charge them rent though, so he bit back a retort and went to wake Claire.

He regretted it the moment he walked in. Claire looked so peaceful wrapped up in the blanket. More importantly, she looked happy, an emotion that didn't cross her face too often these days. She was on her back with her angelic, blonde hair splayed out on the pillow beneath her. Waking her up, losing that smile, was definitely not something Zach looked forward to doing.

Zach shook her awake anyway, with a Hero missing, they really didn't have time to waste.

"mmm….5 more minutes….Z-Zach?! What time is it?"

"Hell if I know, but Isaac's got breakfast ready, let's get some."

"Alright, just give me 5 minutes, I'll be down later."

"Why?"

Zach followed her eyes across the room and saw that her clothes had been thrown in the corner. _Wait if her clothes are over there, then what…._

"Oh! Sorry, I thought you were, you know, dressed already."

"Yeah right, that's why you barged into my room without knocking? God Zach, your such a pervert."

"You sleep naked, and I'm the pervert? Good one."

Zach quickly dodged the playfully thrown pillow and resisted the urge to turn around before exiting the room. Claire really was more fun when she wasn't carrying the weight of the world on her shoulders. _I wonder who Isaac's talking to. Seems a bit early for Hiro and Ando to be here…_

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NYC, 12:30 PM

Isaac's loft

The Haitian

All of the gifted ones sat around him conversing amongst themselves. Had he still been working with The Company, he would have noticed what an excellent opportunity this was. It wasn't every day that the time bender, the painter, the healer, the technopath, the phase-shifter, the mind reader, and even the mimic were this close.

Unfortunately, the loss of the radioactive one, and the fatalities from the raid on the facility that had originally housed him, had turned the powers that be within The Company against him. He had originally intended to flee back to Haiti with the help of Mrs. Petrelli Sr., but the parable of the 3 servants showed him the proper path. He took his partner Bennet's memory of the location of the painter and wiped away all traces of Claire's escape from his mind in order to occupy The Company.

Now he sat here, listening to the group finalize their plan to free the radioactive one. It felt good to be a part of something that didn't fall under the various shades of gray between good and evil. He finally felt like he was serving the purpose God had set for him when he gave him the power to extract memories. If he wore his emotions on his sleeve, he would have smiled.

Then he caught sight of the both the mind reader and Claire looking at him out of the corners of their eyes. Since the moment Claire had seen him she had scarcely left her friend's side, no doubt for fear of him erasing the boy's memories again. Needed but not trusted, a fair recompense for his past sins.

His thoughts took him back to the raid on The Company's warehouse. The onslaught was brutal, the battle-scarred leader as merciless as his skin was dark. _God help us all…_

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NYC, 8:00 PM

Graymalkin General

Sylar's POV

Sylar stared at Ted.

Ted stared at Sylar.

Sylar stared at Ted.

Ted stared at Sylar.

Sylar sighed. "Don't even try. You'll be dead before you can scream."

Sylar leaned forward from his chair to grab a brand new package of cards lying on the table in front of him, looking quite out of place in the dusty and dingy dungeon-like room. Ted quickly masked his look of shock with one of innocence.

"I wasn't planning anything." He lied. He had, in fact, been just about to discreetly burn through the duct tape that bound him to the quite uncomfortable steel chair he was currently sitting in.

Sylar shrugged as he opened the package with a resounding rip and began shuffling the cards, resting his feet on the table in front of him and leaning his chair back on two legs casually. "Just keep telling yourself that. We both know it isn't true."

They were both quiet, excluding the shuffling of cards.

"Would you cut that out?" Ted growled. Sylar waited a moment before throwing the cards haphazardly on the table so they scattered and holding up his hands in mock innocence, while Ted resisted the urge to roll his eyes. For a serial killer, this Sylar guy was really annoying.

_This is so freakin' boring. _Sylar thought contemptuously. Why in the world had Letalis left him behind to play babysitter to some flannel-wearing redneck with serious anger problems?! _My purpose is greater than this; it should have been me leading the raid, not Letalis._

In a last-ditch effort to quell his rising boredom, Sylar dropped his chair back on four legs and put his feet down. Slowly, as if he was following step-by-step instructions, he folded his arms across the table, leaned forward, and then suddenly dropped his head onto them. It took less than fifteen seconds before he raised it back up again, eyes squinting as if sensitive to the light..

"You play poker?" He asked desperately.

Ted's eyebrows shot up and his mouth dropped open.

"Fine." Sylar snapped. He pooled the cards together into a stack as best he could and raised them with a flourish before going back to his previous past-time of shuffling cards, much to Ted's annoyance. Sylar smirked and shook his head in childish amusement.

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NYC Slums, 8:00 PM

Claire and Co.

Claire sneezed for what seemed like the billionth time of the evening as she walked along the sidewalk of the busy New York streets. She was seriously starting to get bugged. She had no idea of what it was in this slightly humid New York air, but she was allergic to _something. _Apparently her healing ability did not apply to allergies, she thought dejectedly. Spring was always a troublesome time for her and allergies. Claire thought she'd never forget those miserable Texas springs spent in a swarm of oak pollen and tissues. She'd thought she'd seen the back of those when she found out about this handy ability she had and left Texas, but it seemed like her problems had grown fond of her and liked to tag along.

She sneezed again and felt like smashing her head open on the brick wall of the building next to her.

The new guy, D.L., chuckled lightly at her misery. She scowled at him. Normally, she was a bundle of joy and never one to take jokes to heart, but right now in between all the sneezing and sniffing of a runny nose, she just wasn't in the mood. D.L.'s grin slid off his face like a particularly disgusting sludge and he quickly walked ahead to avoid the death glare she was sending him. _Wow. _She thought, _That's never happened before…_

She sneezed again, and the little good humor that came with this discovery shot out of her like boogers from her nose after that particularly violent sneeze.

As they continued on their predetermined path, Claire took a moment to take stock of her surroundings. She immediately scrunched her nose at the evident slummy nature of the streets. The decrepit buildings sagged under the weight of many years and abuse of local hoodlums. Though the people they saw were few and far between, she caught the lecherous grins of passing thugs, but thankfully they were checked by the presence of D.L., whom she silently thanked for accompanying her. As they moved forward, the buildings became spaced farther and farther apart and the people practically non-existent, a blessing for their mission. She watched as the boarded up windows and instances of graffiti multiplied with each step until D.L. gave her a significant look.

Finally they had reached the identified building. Claire glanced at it before discreetly following D.L. down a side alley to meet the others crouched behind a dumpster. It was a run-down abandoned hospital. The windows were heavily boarded with cheap graffiti sickened plywood. The entrance was a set of tarnished steel double doors that had a set of sunken and cracked steps leading up to them. She read "Graymalkin General" in bold print above an awning strategically placed above the door. _The name certainly fits. _She thought. And it did. The whole place had an air of gray about it. Of gray corpses and gray clouds of dust and gray, dismal lives. Claire allowed a shudder.

They were the last to arrive since the group had decided to leave Isaac's at different times so as not to draw attention to themselves along the way. As she reluctantly squatted down next to Peter on the filthy ground, he addressed the group.

"Good, we all made it. So is everyone clear on the plan?"

They all nodded and made noises of affirmation, but Peter looked dubious.

"Well, just to make sure, the plan is for Matt to listen for Ted's thoughts and figure out his general location. Then, D.L.," D.L. nodded, "you head over to wherever Matt finds them. When you get there, radio us." Here Peter lifted up a green walkie-talkie decorated with yellow army men that Claire had to bite a laugh off at. It was one of Nathan's boys' toys. "We'll make some kind of distraction if someone's in there with him, and then you do your thing, get him out, and radio us again. If all goes well, then we'll all go home after this." Here Peter paused as if considering the worst.

"If something happens, like D.L. gets caught or one or us does, Plan B is for me to head in there. Plan C, Matt comes along."

Claire frowned. "Hey wait… What about me and that guy?" She gestured at the Haitian man, who had yet to tell everyone his name.

Peter got a serious look on his face and said, "He's Plan D and you're E."

"I'm the last resort." She more stated than asked, disbelieving. Peter took a deep breath and rubbed a hand over his face.

"Look, I didn't even want to bring you along, but you insisted-"

"Because I wanted to help! Not just sit around by a smelly _dumpster_!" Claire cut in.

"Hey, guys, we really can't afford this right now. We need to get Ted out of there already, before Sylar kills him or something." Matt interrupted. Peter nodded grimly and Claire huffed before scooting slightly away from Peter.

"Right." Peter said. "So, Matt, go ahead."

Matt nodded, closed his eyes, and bowed his head in concentration. He felt thoughts assaulting him from those around him…

_Stupid, pompous, piece of-_

_Gonna get herself killed-_

_Thinks he knows everything-_

_Man, damn papercut--_

And he shook his head to clear it, instead pushing himself past these thoughts as he would through a crowd and searched farther. He felt skinny tendrils of thought, pulling at him, tugging him, beckoning him. He quickly followed them to the hospital's entrance, down the main hall, to the right, and down, down, down... Behind the door…

_This is so freakin' boring…_

And Matt snapped back, his chest heaving as if his body had sprinted all that way and not just his mind. He took time to catch his breath while the others looked at him impatiently and worriedly.

"It's Sylar. He's got Ted, on the the other side of the hospital, bottom floor, in the corner."

D.L. nodded. "Got it." He stood up and looked at them, as if wondering if they were going to stop him. When he evidently got his answer he began walking down the alley before turning out of sight.

"Right, well, I guess I better go cause a distraction." Peter said with a grin while standing as well and moving to follow D.L. at a distance.

It was not even a minute after they left before Claire gave up on staying clean and dropped completely to the ground, leaning against the grimy, slimy wall for support.

"So what now? We just wait here?"

"Mmhm." mumbled Matt.

"Then why did we have to bring so many people anyway?" Nobody answered her. She banged her head lightly against the wall. "Oh my God, this is so retarded."

…

She sneezed.

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D.L. walked casually along the sidewalk, trying not to draw attention even though he didn't see anyone in the street. His careless gait, however, was interrupted by an animal sounding frustrated screech that sounded vaguely like Claire, and he curiously turned around to find the source. He looked questionably at Peter, but Peter looked back with the same look and shrugged his shoulders, the corner of his mouth tugged up in a slight grin. D.L. shrugged in return and turned back to continue his path. A single cab drove by just before he turned into the second alley. It looked the same as the first and he wondered if there was some regulation for how an alley in New York had to look.

_Let's see, graffiti covered walls, check. Overflowing dumpster, check. Fighting cats… _He waited a moment as two cats darted out from behind the dumpster, clawing and hissing before they chased each other out the other end. _Check. _He thought with a smirk. He got to the end of the hospital wall, where he assumed is where Matt meant by "the corner." He lifted the ridiculous walkie-talkie to his mouth and whispered, "Peter? Are you in position?"

"_Affirmative. It's a go, wait for the crash. Over." _Fuzzily came back to him. D.L. had to resist the urge to burst into laughter right then. They were having too much fun when they were supposed to be serious. D.L. reflected on how all their lives could be at stake here, and stiffened at that sobering thought. He stepped closer to the wall and closed his eyes in preparation to turn himself intangible. He felt the tingle start at the tips of his fingers and travel up his body like little bugs crawling under his skin until he was completely covered and there was no longer a difference and the feeling was almost lost. D.L. opened his eyes to stare at brick.

He heard a loud crash come from somewhere around the corner along with a shout and footsteps pounding on concrete. He waited for the signal…

"_Go." _Emitted breathlessly from the walkie-talkie, and he stepped into the wall.

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Peter leaned casually against the wall and waited for D.L. to turn the corner and the cab to disappear before moving once again towards the large, gray, imposing doors of the hospital. _What a fitting hideout for a serial killer. _Peter thought. Sylar should just stay there.

Peter crept silently up to the small rectangular slits of windows on the doors and peered inside, looking for something to knock down with a little of Sylar's stolen telekinesis. The hall inside went straight from the door for a little ways before coming to a T. He saw a cobweb-covered stack of metal shelves lined up against the opposite wall from him and smirked.

"_Peter?" _The noise made his heart flutter and his body jerk suddenly. _"Are you in position?" _ It was fine. It was just D.L. on the walkie-talkie. He fumbled for it in his jacket pocket and lifted it hastily to his lips.

"Affirmative. It's a go. Wait for the crash. Over." He spoke into it, feeling rather silly. He looked around once more for any passerby's, took a deep breath, and focused his mind on the shelf across from him.

He raised his hand and closed his eyes, jerking his fingers in a strange manner. Nothing happened. Shook hair out of his face, annoyed, before taking another deep, calming breath, and trying a different tactic.

As much as he didn't want to, Peter closed his eyes and focused on Sylar. He focused on Sylar tossing lockers at him with his mind at Claire's high school like they were balls of paper. And then, he felt it. He couldn't explain how it felt, just that it was there. It was like a part of him he never knew was missing had suddenly reappeared. He felt whole. He felt _right._

Once again, Peter raised his hand to the shelves, and this time made a pulling motion. They immediately tumbled over with a spectacular crash. His moment of triumph was ruined, however, with the slam of a door from inside. His eyes widened.

"Shit!" He exclaimed and clumsily leapt over the shaky step railing and pounded down the sidewalk towards the alley. He almost smiled, the feelings he had now reminding him of childhood days playing ding-dong-ditch with the local boys. Almost forgetting the signal, he remembered and brought the walkie-talkie to his face just as he rounded the corner.

"Go." He breathed into it before crouching quickly behind the dumpster, his heart beating a mile a minute.

It had begun.

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Post AN's

1. Jesus's Parable of the 3 men:

I don't know the exact verses, so I'll give it in a nutshell. There are 3 servants who are given an equal amount of money by their master, the master goes away for a while, returns, and asks to see the money. One of the servants hid away the money and lost it, another hid it away and returns it all, and the last used the money given to make more money and returned all of the old and new money to the master. The master punishes the first two and rewards the third one.

Interpretations are up to the individuals, but I think this is all about the gifts we're given, our purpose in life, and how we use our gifts to serve our purpose. In this case, the parable reminds the Haitian that he was given a special gift and he must use it responsibly.

2. Chapter 8 Preview: The Bomb Part II

The rescue mission continues. What will happen when Peter meets Ted? Will our Heroes manage to overcome Sylar this time? Or will thousands die as Peter is unable to hold his own power in check? Click the little purple arrow to find out!


	9. The Bomb Part II

Unsung Heroes

By: Romako and SkyRogue

Chapter 8: The Bomb Part II

AN's

Sorry for the slow updates people. Life has a tendency to get in the way. I think it's safe to say that updates will be more frequent now that classes have let out for awhile

As thanks for your patience readers, here's a mega chapter for you all!

I don't own Heroes; they're the property of NBC and T. Kring. I do own the characters Letalis and Tabibito.

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NYC-Isaac's Loft

Zach had spent the last few minutes pacing back and forth behind the computer chair Micah was in. He wished he could've gone with Claire and the others, the memory of what that Sylar freak had done to Jackie was still pretty fresh. It very well could have been Claire that time.

Deep down, Zach knew he'd be of no use to them this time. He was still not 100 and their enemy had power beyond most people's….

"Would you stop pacing around already? You're going to trip over a cord or something!"

"Sorry, I'm just worried about Claire."

"Why? Claire's the one that's like Wolverine right? She's basically indestructible."

"It's….um…kind of complicated."

Zach shuffled away leaving Micah to work his magic with the computer. He didn't feel like getting into his emotions with someone so young. Isaac had wandered off to his main work area earlier in the afternoon, maybe he had come up with something interesting.

The first thing Zach noticed when he entered Isaac's painting area was that it was freezing. Isaac was busy painting what was clearly an old fashioned monastery. The pointed architecture and blooming Sakura trees reminded Zach of scenes he'd seen in old samurai movies. What was weird was that the whole painting was smudged. Anyone could tell what it was if they squinted, but it was as if Isaac himself couldn't exactly see what he was trying to paint.

After the painting was done, Isaac moved to the lower right portion of the painting and scribbled something that Zach assumed was his signature. When he looked closer though, it turned out to be a combination of letters and numbers that resembled coordinates. _Since when is Isaac able to be so specific?_

Apparently Isaac was wondering the same thing. When he came out of the trance, and the temperature of the room rose significantly, he looked at the coordinates with confusion.

"Looks like your power's growing, Isaac."

"I guess so; I've never been able to pinpoint exact locations like that."

"So, do you see all of this as you're painting it? Are you even aware of any of this when you're in that trance?"

"Yeah, when I start to paint it's like I'm floating above whatever I'm painting. My body moves on its own, recording what my eyes see. This time was different though. I couldn't even see much of it, like there was a barrier."

"Then how could you paint such an accurate picture?"

"I…I think I was being guided…"

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Isaac's loft

Tabibito

_Indeed painter, you have been guided. Let us hope it is enough to see you safely to our sanctuary._

The old man had been standing behind Isaac the whole time he was in a trance. The power of spiritual projection was truly a gift from the Father, without it Tabibito would never be able to guide these gifted ones to the sanctuary or to keep up with all that was happening in the world. His travels throughout the world via spiritual projection indicated that it was time for them to fall back to the monastery.

If the painter or the other one had been able to see him, Tabibito guessed they would have been rather shocked. In his physical form, Tabibito was hardly an ominous looking man, but the surprise would be entertaining. At a mere 5 feet 7 inches, his bald head was creased with wrinkles and his blue eyes held the pools of sadness and regret that come with living a life of responsibility. His body, however, was sturdier and more battle-scarred than any man his age thanks to the training regimen he applied to himself and his monks.

The world was traveling down a dark path, and he knew the bomb was just the start. These gifted individuals must be trained, without help they were like children wielding katanas: more likely to harm others and themselves than to help. He was breaking his own rules by guiding them, but it was for the greater good.

_Father on high, guide these gifted, wandering souls, that they may reach safety and serve your purpose…_

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Graymalkin General-NYC

It felt like water. Like a thin layer of pure wetness, and D.L. could never shake the clingy, damp, wet spiderweb feeling he got each time after stepping through something, which is what caused the barely perceptible shudder from him as he emerged on the other side of the hospital wall.

He opened his eyes, and saw a scruffy looking man in flannel craning his neck after a shoe that had just disappeared around the corner. D.L. sucked in a breath. That was _way _too close.

As soon as the shoe disappeared completely and the loud, echoing footsteps had died a bit on the air, the man (Ted, he was pretty sure) began frantically straining his hands behind his back, tying to get them free from the ropes. D.L. quickly stepped forward and placed a hand on the man's shoulder.

"Holy Jesus!" Ted exclaimed, but D.L. immediately shushed him.

"Hey, man, it's Ted, right? Just stay calm and I'll get you out of this mess."

"Who the hell are you?" Ted asked, shocked.

"I'm D.L. I'm here with some people called Matt, Peter, and Claire. Know them?" He whispered as he deliberated on how best to free Ted. He'd never phased two people at once, so he thought he'd go with the traditional way of just plain untying.

"Oh, thanks for taking so damn long. I thought I'd starve to death before one of you guys showed up." Ted said as he rolled his eyes and visibly relaxed.

"And you're going to wish that was the case by the time I'm done with you." Said a menacing voice from a man framed in the doorway.

_Oh shit. _Was D.L.'s last thought before he and Ted were slammed violently into the wall with a wave of Sylar's hand.

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"Ok, seriously, this is taking _way _too long." Claire said, exasperated.

"Do you think something went wrong?" asked Peter with a worried look on his face. Claire looked at him in surprise; after all, he was the one that had been insisting that she be patient for the last ten minutes of waiting on D.L.

"Yes." Claire deadpanned, "And it looks like I'm the only one willing to do something about it." And with that she stood up and made off for the street, brushing her clothes off as she walked. Peter started, then quickly followed her and grabbed her arm.

"Claire-"

"No, Peter!" She hissed as she yanked her arm out of his grip. Peter was shocked. He had never seen this side of Claire before. "I'm sick of being 'just a cheerleader.' It's time I did something _useful._" She called over her shoulder as she left the alley.

Peter stared after her for a moment before he turned to look desperately at Matt and The Haitian. They both gave him blank looks that stated clearly they had no idea how to handle teenage girls.

"Well? You gonna go get her?" Matt said.

Peter rolled his eyes before jogging after Claire.

He found her jiggling the handle on the doors to the hospital.

"Claire!" He shouted, then immediately caught himself and whispered, "What do you think you're doing?"

"Something." She stated simply, and with one more violent jangle the door screeched open suddenly and Peter cringed at the noise.

"C'mon, Claire, come back to the dumpster before you get yourself killed!"

Claire gave a harsh laugh. "_Killed? _But I can't die, remember?"

Peter watched in disbelief as she walked confidently into the dark building. He barely had to argue with himself before he followed.

"_Claire!_" He said in a hushed tone.

"C'mon, _Peter, _go back to the dumpster before you get yourself killed!" She whispered mockingly back at him. Peter wanted to scratch his head in puzzlement. What was wrong with her? She was never like this!

If Claire was at all afraid of their cobwebbed surroundings, she didn't show it. Peter watched her pause briefly at the T of the hall before she suddenly turned right and he lost sight of her for a few moments before he too rounded the corner.

Suddenly, Claire slowed to a crawling pace. She brought her hands up to her face slowly, and Peter could hear her small gasps of breath.

"Claire?" Peter asked, alarmed. "Claire, are you ok?"

She didn't answer.

"Claire!" Peter forgot to whisper as he broke into a run, hand outstrected, and then-

"AAHHHHCHOO!"

Claire let out a bellowing sneeze.

Peter couldn't help himself. He slowed to a stop and let his hand drop, just missing her shoulder. For the life of him, he couldn't contain a short laugh, which he immediately regretted.

Angrily, Claire spun on him.

"Now just because _you _don't have to deal with stupid allergies doesn't mean you can-"

Claire's voice ended in a gasp and suddenly she was gone, pulled viciously by a hand through a door to the left. Peter's mouth dropped in shock. He hadn't even seen the door open. He hadn't seen it, he hadn't been able to warn her, he had brought her here, and it was his fault.

It was his fault Claire was taken.

His shock turned to anger. Anger because he knew who had taken her, and he didn't like it one bit.

Sylar.

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The halls echoed with Claire's screams, and it only took Peter a second to pull his hands out of his pockets and lunge towards the door she had just disappeared in moments ago. He brought down his fist on the door hard and relished the shudder it produced. He could only scream Claire's name once, however, before the lights in the hospital were shut off with an ominous mechanical noise.

Instantly he was provoked into defense. It was silent. Claire's screams ended with the lights, and he couldn't decide if that was a good thing or not.

His eyes were peeled open to the maximum, fighting for any light they could receive. He pushed off the door and placed his back against the wall, head spinning, looking. He moved down the wall towards the way he and Claire were going before, maybe he could at least find D.L. or Ted. Claire would be ok.

Wouldn't she?

He slid down the hall, trembling, shaking, his eyes shooting to random corners, looking for enemies that weren't there.

The creaking of a door opening reached his ears.

It was from the general area of where he last saw Claire.

Against his better judgment, he sprung from the wall and his only source of guidance with fists raised.

"Claire? Please tell me that's you…" And even while he said this he knew it wasn't Claire.

"Guess again, Peter."

_Oh great. _

This was it. Sylar was here. It was the final showdown. Right?

Peter tried to steel himself for the fight to come. He focused in on the spot where he heard Sylar's voice come from, but it was no good. He couldn't see anything in the pitch darkness.

"Come on, Sylar. I know it's you. Why don't you quit hiding and show yourself?!" He yelled to the darkness.

"I don't think I want to." This time, Sylar's voice came from behind him, and Peter spun wildly to protect his back.

"Where are you?" He said.

"I'm over here-" To the left-

"And I'm here-" Behind him-

"And here-" Right-

"And HERE!" And with that, Sylar was right in Peter's face, then before Peter could even register what just happened, he was thrown viciously backwards down the hall.

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"Do you think they're alright?" Matt asked the man they called The Haitian.

He shrugged and Matt scoffed.

"Not much of a talker, are you?" Another shrug. Finally Matt had it. This guy was seriously boring company.

"Ok, well, if you're not gonna say anything, I think I should go in there and make sure everyone's ok. I'm plan C aren't I?"

The Haitian shrugged and with an exasperated sigh, Matt stood and left the alley to step into Graymalkin General

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When he finally slid to a halt, Peter sprang to his feet and shook the hair from his eyes.

He could hear Sylar's staccato footsteps quite close, actually, and he barely saw his menacing face emerge from the darkness inches away before his felt the impact of a fist to his stomach. Peter involuntarily doubled over and received a knee to the face.

Once again Peter found himself on the ground and tried quickly to stand up, letting Claire's regeneration take care of his broken nose, but it was too late.

Sylar had again disappeared in the eternal darkness around him. Peter did not relax, however. His temper was bright and flaring, and he wasn't going to give up without one hell of a fight.

Eyes and ears peeled, Peter spun in a slow circle with his fists high, ready to jump at the slightest sound. He quickly decided to use Sylar's very own telekinesis against him, and slowly and silently lifted a stray gurney in the air to hover nearby.

And then Peter heard footsteps. They were slow, they were quiet. They were sneaky. They were Sylar's kind of footsteps. He immediately tuned in to pinpoint their location and-

"Peter-"

-that's all he needed.

But, even as Peter recognized Matt's voice, he had already flung the gurney upon the first syllable he heard, and he prematurely cringed before he even heard the crash.

As soon as the clattering stopped, Peter rushed over to Matt's body. He fell to his knees and felt the ground ahead until he caught hold of a shoe. It was Matt's!

He heaved the gurney off of him and shook his friend's shoulder.

"Matt! Matt? You there? C'mon, man, wake up."

Peter quickly checked for a pulse and wasn't very surprised to find him alive. Being slammed by a flying gurney may knock you out, but it surely wasn't fatal. Still, Peter felt guilty. Here Matt had come in to help him, and instead got a nasty headache and unnecessary concussion courtesy of friendly fire. Peter moved back to sit on his heels and rubbed a hand over his face, still leaving one on Matt's wrist. Suddenly clapping cut through the silence.

"Wow, Peter. Bravo!" It was Sylar, and he was laughing.

Peter shot to his feet as if he was spring loaded and without any type of warning picked up the very same gurney with his mind and shot it at Sylar like a gigantic bullet.

Sylar barely ducked in time, but the misdirected gurney hit instead a boarded up window and succeeded in knocking the plywood off its mount, therefore letting the moon and streetlights shine inside. Sylar was caught in the spotlight and Peter could see him as he straightened up with fury in his eyes.

Sylar then lifted a hand to fling a set of shelves at Peter, which he narrowly dodged with the help of his telekinesis. It was followed by an IV pole, then a pillow, then a crutch, and then Peter had enough and tossed the crutch right back at him. It hit Sylar in the head.

Sylar was momentarily stunned, and Peter used the time to pick up the first thing he saw, which happened to be a sheet, and flung it at him. It landed right on top of him, and it looked like Sylar was getting tangled in it. Seeing his advantage, Peter threw another sheet, then another, and another, until Sylar was leaning against the wall, wrapped in sheets, caught dead in a spotlight.

For a moment Peter thought he had the upper hand.

"What's the matter, Sylar? Are you _all tied up?_"

With an angry roar, the sheets billowed off of Sylar and landed in heaps about him. He fiercely threw out his hand and Peter was forced to turn tail and run from the shelves that could suddenly walk.

Behind him a path of destruction was leaving its mark, shelves and gurneys and mountains of sheets toppling over in his wake. The boards over the windows were also bursting off their nails and letting in more light. Peter could see Sylar floating in the air, following the turmoil of his own creation.

Peter had to do something. He was already starting to tire. _Damn. I knew I should've done sports in high school!_

He had to do something! He couldn't let Sylar run him like cattle through this whole hospital! He had passed the T intersection just a while ago, and he didn't know how far this hospital went before it dead ended.

Frantically, Peter thought of an ability he could use. Nothing was coming up.

Panicking now, because he could see the end of the hall in the pale light, Peter just turned over his shoulder and thought of getting rid of Sylar with his arm extended.

While he was focusing on Sylar, he felt a new power run through him. He had no idea what it was, just that it made him feel like there was ice in his veins. It was so cold it forced the air out his lungs, air that was apparently frozen.

Molecules froze before his eyes, they froze to form small spheres of pure ice, and without further thought Peter stopped, turned around, and pushed them at Sylar.

He could see the surprise on Sylar's face as the multiple ice globes rushed towards him, and watched with satisfaction as they hit him hard in the air and Sylar lost control and tumbled to the ground.

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Claire was stuck to a wall.

Stuck to a wall with a friggin' IV pole through her stomach.

She had at first been terrified when Sylar had dragged her into this operating room. She had thought he was going to cut her head open and kill her for good, just like he did to Jackie. She was so terrified she began to scream. But then, just as he was about to, he heard Peter bang on the door, and he took a second's deliberation before he was apparently decided, and suddenly she was flung to the nearest wall and a silver rod was flying towards her at top speed.

When it hit her, she stopped screaming, and the lights went out. She was shocked. She had just been pinned to a wall with a huge pole, and God did it hurt. Sylar came up close to her and into her ear whispered, "_I'll be back." _ She couldn't help it. She was a '90s kid and she instantly thought of The Terminator.

This was Claire's last thought before she fainted.

When she finally came to, she was still stuck to the wall. This time, however, it was noisy. Very noisy. She could barely make out Peter's voice before it was overridden by a roar and then major amounts of clattering.

This brought her to where she was now.

Claire was trying to figure out how to get _off _this damn pole. It wasn't easy. Just touching it sent lightning bolts of pain through her body, but the sounds of Peter and Sylar were fading, and she needed to get off. At least she could touch the ground with her tip-toes. Finally, she decided to just do it. She squeezed her eyes shut tight, wrapped her hand around the pole, and _ pulled _as hard as she could.

Finally, she fell to the floor. The pole wasn't out of her stomach, but at least she was off the wall. The impact on the floor jarred the pole around a little bit, and Claire had to sit for a while to adjust. Then, like ripping off a band aid, she yanked the pole out of her and let it clatter on the floor.

Her blood was flowing freely out of her wound, the first time in a while she had seen anything like that on herself, and Claire let herself slump against the wall with her hands around it as if she was trying to pool the blood on her stomach. Fairly quickly, the bleeding stopped and she wiped the blood away to see unmarred skin. Relieved, she stood and limped to the door. Her insides still felt a little disjointed, as if they were having a hard time catching up with her skin. By the time she got the door open, however, all pain was gone. She straightened up, wiped off her hands, and stepped into the hallway.

It was barely light enough to see. Even with the open window she could've _sworn _wasn't there before Claire couldn't see three feet ahead of her.

Instinctively, Claire turned to go right, back to the T intersection of halls, but then she stopped herself. She had just remembered what was in the other direction. What she had come here for.

D.L. and Ted.

She looked left, and then turned back right. In the distance she could hear the noise of fighting, Peter and Sylar, no doubt.

As much as she wanted to go help Peter duke it out with Sylar, Claire knew that she wouldn't be much help. In fact, she'd be more of a hindrance. She'd distract Peter from his task of kicking some serious serial killer ass and she might possibly be caught by Sylar and give him her power, which wouldn't be good for _anyone. _

Well, except for Sylar, of course.

The more Claire thought about it, the more she was sure. She _had _to go left. She _had _to go help Ted and D.L. Peter could handle himself, but the others needed her.

With new determination, Claire turned and set off down the hall, to the left.

Before she gracefully tripped over a body on the ground.

At first she was scared. Which of her friends was laying prone on the floor of the hospital in the wake of Sylar? As she frantically searched for a face or a wrist, and found a wrist and a pulse first, her fear subsided. Now she felt in the semi-dark for a face, and when she found one, she ran her fingers over it and squinted to make it out before…

"Matt!" She whispered. She didn't really know why she was whispering, but Graymalkin General just had that effect on her. She whispered almost as if she was showing reverence for the dead.

"Matt, wake up!" And she lightly slapped his face. He groggily moaned and raised an arm in the air while Claire let out a sigh of relief.

"Wha? What's going on? Claire?" He asked, his speech slightly slurred.

"Yeah, it's me. Come on, we gotta get you out of here." And with that Claire pulled Matt's arm around her shoulders and tried her best to lift him up. It wasn't working.

"Matt, you're going to have to help me out here." And so he did the best he could, at least to get on his feet. From there, Claire guided him a few stumbling steps forward on her previous path. It only took a while for her to get the hang of it and begin on much more confident strides.

"What are we doing?"

"We're saving our friends."

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Peter was panting. Using such a new power took a lot out of him, and for a brief moment of happiness he was sure Sylar was down for the count, but Peter groaned as Sylar pushed himself up.

Sylar stood with a smile on his face, barely concealing his surprise at Peter prowess in the new ability.

"Is that all you can do? And here I was expecting a _challenge._" Sylar scoffed.

Once again the anger rose up in Peter's throat, but instead of voicing it he bottled it down and disappeared.

Literally.

Sylar rolled his eyes.

"Oh, come on, Peter. You can't hide from me." When he got no response, he raised a finger and the lights flickered back on with the noise of electricity.

Sylar smiled when Peter was still nowhere to be found.

"Ah. Invisibility. I can't wait to try that one out."

Revolving in a slow semi-circle, Sylar suddenly stopped and his face went grim.

"Now, Peter. Didn't I already tell you? You can't hide from me. _I can hear you._"

And with that, Sylar cocked his head to the side, listening. He could hear a heartbeat. It was coming from right… over…

"There!" And Sylar raised his arm and shot it forward.

Seven syringes flew at high speeds to an area by the wall.

Peter screamed when the syringe pierced his shoulder, and just after he could reach up and pull it out, he was pushed by an invisible force around his neck against the wall. He hit it hard with the force of all of Sylar's anger behind it, and then he slid loudly up until his feet could no longer feel the floor. Before he could think Sylar was only feet away, but Peter could feel pressure on his throat as if Sylar himself was holding him in a chokehold.

Sylar could see the fear in Peter's face. The way his lip twitched, the way his eyes widened, he was terrified.

And Sylar relished it.

He had him right where he wanted him… All he had to do now was to saw the top of his head off and Peter's powers were his for the taking. No more would he be forced to kill.

Wait… He wouldn't have to kill anymore.

Did he want that?

No, he didn't. Sylar enjoyed the killing. Sylar enjoyed the thrill of the chase. Sylar enjoyed the rush he felt when he knew he was responsible for the ending of another's life.

At first killing was an obstacle, a hurdle to overcome, for the greater good, of becoming _special. _At least it was for Gabriel.

It had just been Gabriel at the start. The first kill, the murder of Brian, was an act of passion, of instinct. He realized the path and took the first road he saw towards it. It had been Gabriel then. It had been Gabriel calling himself a silly name.

The second kill was Gabriel as well. It was an act of vengeance. Suresh hadn't believed in him. He had raised his hopes so high only to bring them crashing down around his feet. For that, he needed to pay.

It wasn't until the third kill did he truly become Sylar. It was the first time he had killed for pleasure and driven completely by the greed in his heart.

He had been walking down the streets of New York, still dressed and acting as a normal man. Nothing special to him at all. But inside, he was churning. Every single moment he wanted to burst out and use his new found power. He wanted the _world _to know, but he couldn't. He was a murderer, and if anyone found out about his secret, he would be sent to jail. Gabriel was too soft for jail.

But then, as he rounded the corner, he felt a tingling on the inside. It was the same feeling he got when he first met Brian. _Someone special was nearby. _

He wanted their power immediately, but Gabriel stopped him. Suresh was dead, he had a power, he was special, and that was all he wanted. But for Sylar, it wasn't enough. There was someone out there with a power as well. Someone who might be just as special as him, or worse, they could be MORE! He had to eliminate them, he had to take their power into his fold and increase his own status. It was a hard inner battle, but eventually the blood lust won over. It was too much when a middle aged brunette woman got too close to him and lightly brushed his shoulder. It felt like he had been frozen.

Ah. _Ice_.

He leapt on her like a lion on the prowl, it was late, and no one was around. He pushed her into the alley thinking only of blood gushing through his fingers, of flesh littering the ground. He did what came natural, and soon her scalp was broken on the pavement, and Sylar was practicing freezing a dumpster.

That night, Gabriel suffered. He was guilty of what he had done. He knew that something was _wrong_ inside of him, and he stayed locked in his watch shop for a long time, but eventually he ventured out, and Sylar emerged again. He killed again. And again. And again. And each time he spilled the blood of another, he grew _stronger, _until Gabriel was nothing but a distant memory.

And so now, looking at Peter, he saw what could be the opening Gabriel needed to resurface. He would lose his excuse to murder, to kill, to rip, and Gabriel would return and force him down forever.

No, he couldn't kill Peter Petrelli. Not now. He wasn't strong enough. He wasn't strong enough to hold down Gabriel when he had a glimmer of doubt in their cause.

So, Sylar let Peter fall to a heap on the ground, seconds away from suffocating, to cough feebly on his own, while he spun, lifted himself up, and flew away in the opposite direction.

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Sylar landed just after he passed the T hallway. He briskly walked down the brightly lit hall, his blood flaring after the close call with Peter. That's when he remembered Claire

He had left her pinned to a wall while he went after Peter, more important Peter. Oh, how wrong he had been. He was back on track now, however, and he would kill her to satisfy his hunger. Smiling, he swung open the door…

…to find the room empty. The bright light bounced off the large puddle of blood on the floor, and after a short examination, he knew it was just this side of fresh. Angrily, he slammed the door behind him and closed his eyes.

He could feel the tingle, it was them. _Four _of them, how wonderful! There was a simple mind reader, he could tell by the presence of mind he felt, Claire would be there of course, then Ted and the man from earlier.

Quite the jackpot.

Sylar knew that if he followed good strategy, he should go for Claire first, but his taste buds told him otherwise.

He wanted Ted.

He could feel it from here, there was so much raw power behind that specimen. So much pure destructive energy, and he wanted it, **badly**. He had to put every single atom of will power he possessed to work when Letalis forbade him to take his power, but now he was escaping, and wouldn't Letalis rather have Ted's power than nothing?

With new determination, Sylar turned left and continued down the hall towards the room where D.L. and Ted were kept.

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"Hey, wake up!" Ted whispered loudly to D.L.

Sylar had left them quite a while ago, but D.L. was still unconscious somewhere behind him. Ted was still tied to the chair, but it was tipped over.

He was very uncomfortable.

Ted badly wanted to use his radioactive power burn through his binds, but he didn't know how close D.L. was and didn't want to burn him or give him some kind of radiation poisoning, like he did his wife.

He quickly pushed that thought away and tried again to wake D.L. with his voice.

"Man, c'mon!"

Ted squeaked in fright when the lights suddenly flickered back on. They had been out for a long time. He wondered what was going on.

Just a few seconds later, the door creaked open. Ted closed his eyes and tensed. He fully expected to be Sylar complaining about a rat problem.

But instead, a sweet voice floated to his ears.

"Are y'all alright?"

His eyes shot open.

"Claire! And Matt! Thank God you're here." He said in excitement, "Now can you get us out of here?"

"That's what we're here for." She said with a smile and moved forward to help Ted out of his binds. Matt leaned against the wall for support after Claire left him.

"Matt, you ok?" asked Ted.

"I'm fine, just a little dizzy."

"That's not good." Ted frowned. _Finally I'm free!_ He immediately leapt up and stretched. "You have NO idea how long I've been there! I just want to get out of here, as fast as I can."

"So what happened here?" Claire asked, already kneeling beside D.L.

"Sylar. He caught this one trying to rescue me."

"D.L… D.L…" She said while shaking his shoulder. She sighed, "It's not working."

Ted thought for a moment and then said, "Hey Matt, you do that mind-reading thingy, right?"

Matt looked dubious. "Yeah?"

"Well… Do you think you could…mind-jolt him or something? Wake him up?"

"I don't know, I haven't ever done that before… But I guess I could try."

And with that, from his perch against the wall, Matt closed his eyes and concentrated. He quickly pushed past Ted and Claire's surface thoughts and felt for something more subtle. He could feel it, now. There was a low pulse of brain power hidden under layers of silence. He mentally dove on it, and it felt almost like he hooked it up with a rope and was pulling it to the surface… He was almost there… He got it!

Matt opened his eyes simultaneously with D.L. and they both gasped for air as if they had just gone for a long swim.

"You did it!" Claire said to Matt, smiling up at him.

"No… no… we gotta go, NOW!" Matt said, surprising them all and jumping off the wall.

"Where's the fire?" Ted asked sarcastically.

"Right down that hall, and coming this way!"

"What are you talking about?" Claire asked, scared.

"Right before I came back, I felt… I felt another mind. I think it was Sylar. D.L., you need to phase us out the way you came."

"I've never phased two people at once." D.L. said, coughing still from his trip into the realm of unconsciousness.

"Well, we're all doing something new tonight, you need to try."

"But we could end up inside the wall or something."

"Better than letting Sylar get us."

D.L. nodded at that and stood up with Claire's help.

"Alright, we'll go one at a time. D.L., you take Ted out first, then come back and get Claire. I'll go last."

"Are you sure?" Claire cut in.

"Definitely. Now, we need to hurry!"

D.L., who was now much more stable than he had been at first, grabbed onto Ted's arm and stepped towards the wall.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa, man, I did _not _sign up for this!" Ted said as he put the brakes on his heels.

"Ted, you gotta go or else Sylar gets your power and we all die! Come on! Man up!" D.L. said firmly. Ted didn't dare protest again and instead closed his eyes tight and allowed D.L. to pull him through the wall.

When he emerged on the other side, he immediately shivered.

"That was just about the weirdest thing I've ever done." He said.

"Seriously?" asked D.L., almost incredulous.

"Well, no, actually, now that I think about it."

"I thought so. Now, you just stay right here, I'll be right back with Claire and Matt and then we'll all go together."

Ted said nothing in response

"You got that?" D.L. tried to confirm.

"Yeah, yeah, just go get Claire and Matt." Reluctantly, D.L. stepped back through the wall, and much like what D.L. had feared, Ted waited a second after he had disappeared before he turned and began to walk out of the alley.

"Screw that, I'm out of here." He said to himself before breaking into a run.

Ted Sprague had just made the worst decision of his life.

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Post Author's Notes:

Imaginary bonus points to anyone who can figure out why I called the monk "Tabibito"!

I hope everyone enjoyed the chapter, the meat and potatoes of which came from SkyRogue. Don't forget to drop a few reviews for her battle scene

SkyRogue says: Yes, please!

Chapter 9 Preview: The Bomb Finale

The Bomb finally goes off; will it be Sylar or Peter? Will either survive? How will it affect NYC?

All these questions will be answered soon. Stay tuned in loyal readers!


	10. The Bomb Part III

Unsung Heroes

By: Romako and SkyRogue

Chapter 9: The Bomb Part III

AN's

Heroes and associated characters still aren't mine. See the past chapters for a more detailed disclaimer

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NYC Penthouse

Letalis

What a tiresome night it turned out to be. After months of tracking one of those damned anomalies, one known only as Wireless when he first started tracking her, he finally tracked her to an out of the way apartment in one of the boroughs. Reports were just coming in from the one first responder who survived…

"Alpha Whiskey to Arc Angel, come in Arc Angel!"

"A. Whiskey, this is Arc Angel go."

The old man reclined in his office chair with a frustrated mental sigh. The downside to having ex Delta's at his disposal was that they insisted on treating him like a commander. He already fought his battles a long time ago; he paid for his freedom with the blood of his enemies. All Letalis wanted was to rid the world of these so called "gifted" scums. Unfortunately, that meant bringing some under his control before disposing of them.

"Target lost. Area secured, but with heavy casualties. The anomaly's communication equipment was booby trapped and timed to go off on forced entry of the apartment.

"Gather the survivors and proceed to HQ. Leave the dead, the cleanup crew will be there shortly."

"Say again your last, sir."

"You heard me, fall back!"

"What about the anomaly sir?"

"Team Bravo has secured the secondary objective, we'll get her soon."

"Yes sir. Alpha Whiskey out."

Letalis hadn't made it to where he was today by "winging it" as the young whelps on the street liked to say. Wireless would be his, and with her he could track the others. Putting away the radio, he buzzed his secretary….

"Bring him in, Leslie."

"Yes sir."

……..

"You better hope Wireless shows up, for your sake."

……..

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Graymalkin General-NYC

Sylar strode purposefully down the hall. He was determined to get Ted's power and to impress Letalis with his capabilities. Ever since he met Letalis, he had felt like he was being looked down on. He felt as if he was some sort of _lackey_, as if he was _inferior. _

_If there is one thing Sylar is not, it is inferior. _He thought to himself.

Suddenly Sylar stopped in his tracks. All this time he had been following the tingle in his spine, in his hands… But now, something was different.

He concentrated on what he felt. Where there had been four, there were now two. He could feel the mind reader in his original spot, but he could not feel the pulsating of power that was Ted.

Sylar was momentarily waylaid. Again he concentrated, and reached out through his surroundings. _Ah_ _there he is. _

Without even bothering to retrace his steps, Sylar extended his arm and bulldozed straight through the sheetrock to get to the street. The walls exploded before him, and in only a few moments, Sylar was standing on the sidewalk in a puddle of plaster, staring at Ted Sprague.

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Ted had just rounded the corner when the wall burst forth in front of his face. Hurriedly he threw an arm up to shield his face and jumped backwards. While all the people around him were running and yelling at the sudden explosion, he stayed put out of curiosity.

Ted Sprague had just made the second worst mistake of his life.

He opened his eyes to face Sylar and was abruptly shocked into silence. Before he could recover, his neck was caught in Sylar's grip and he was being hurled across the street. A car's door broke his fall.

Ted watched as Sylar walked daringly through the street. Before, Ted had thought Sylar would shy from public eye, but now it seemed as if Sylar had lost that fear as he stalked forward in plain sight of the few early morning frightened bystanders. Before Ted could pull himself off the ground, Sylar was kneeling in front of him.

Without a word and only a facial expression Ted could not describe in a million years, Sylar raised his finger.

As the first incision began across Ted's forehead, he did not scream.

_This isn't so bad. _He thought. _I can barely feel it anymore. _

And with the last of his strength, Ted thought of his wife.

Ted Sprague was dead.

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D.L. passed through the wall cautiously. He had been gone for only a few seconds, but someone like D.L. knew the value a few seconds can have and how much can change in that short flicker of time.

He was happy to see Matt and Claire alone.

Claire automatically stepped forward, and without a word he grabbed her arm and moved to go through the wall.

"Wait!" He heard Claire's voice. Immediately he stopped and turned.

Matt was slightly bent over, a hand to his head. D.L. couldn't decipher the mumbles issuing from his mouth.

"Matt? Matt are you ok?" Claire tore herself from his grip and placed a hand on Matt's shoulder.

"_Not inferior… There he is!_" Matt said, his eyes directed towards the ground.

"What are you talking about?" Claire looked worried.

Suddenly Matt straightened up.

"Sylar," He said, "He's going after Ted. Go now!"

D.L. understood completely. After all, he had sensed that Ted was planning to desert as soon as he let go of his arm. He started forward and grabbed Claire's arm, and she put up no fight as he dragged her out of the wall.

When they emerged on the other side, the screams _of early morning_ insomniacs could be heard ringing through the streets.

"Wait right here, I'm coming back with Matt." He told her, but he could tell by the look in her eyes she wasn't looking to follow. "I mean it." He said before he reluctantly stepped through the wall.

Claire quietly ran to the edge of the alley as soon as D.L. disappeared in the wall. She poked the top of her head out and could see Ted leaning haphazardly against the side of a car. There was one problem though:

He didn't have the top of his head.

Claire immediately whipped her own head behind the corner, just in time to see D.L. and Matt materialize from the wall.

"Claire?" D.L. called.

"Over here!" She said feebly. They both ran to join her and, not bearing to look again, she pointed around the corner.

They both looked and pulled their heads back with similar looks of disgust.

"Who would do something like that?" D.L. asked, and before Claire could answer, a voice behind her did it for her.

"I would."

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Isaac's Loft-NYC

Zach sat back in the computer chair and took some time to rub his eyes. Staring at a computer screen for too long always did that to him. _It's going to be a long night._

He'd been spending the last few minutes hacking into Google's servers, which were shockingly weak. Well, as weak as a major company's network could be. Of course, Micah could have used his gift to get in and out quickly, but he was feeling tired after a long day of traveling and decided to join Isaac for some Chinese take out in the kitchen.

The Google Earth Program would be ideal for inputting the coordinates to figure out where exactly that last painting was. If the version available to the public was so useful, there had to be a more powerful version that Google was withholding from the public.

After a few more frustrating attempts, Zach looked up at the clock and realized that the group had been gone way too long. They were supposed to get Ted and get out quickly, something must have gone wrong. _There isn't much I can do on my own though…_

A part of him knew he was in no shape to help them get Ted out, but Zach had to know if Claire was alright. He couldn't forgive himself if she was hurt while he was somewhere safe doing nothing. Zach snuck up to his room and got the G-17 that Matt left him and was about to open the front door to take off when the door opened inward to show Hiro and Ando.

"Hiro! Ando! You guys have great timing, Hiro I need your help. Could you teleport me to a place called Graymalkin General?"

"Kenshi's sword only amplifies Hiro's power; it doesn't give him precise control over it."

"Yes, Ando is right; I do not think I can do that."

"Come on Hiro, they might be in trouble! What if you just hold on to me and I'll picture it? Maybe then you can get to it!"

"Ok, let's try. Ando stay here for now."

With that, Hiro placed his hands on Zach's shoulders and they both disappeared. Ando looked around wondering what exactly he was going to do to pass the time until they returned. He was about to go off and find a good restaurant when he smelled some delicious Chinese food from Isaac's kitchen. _Perhaps this day isn't a loss after all…_

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Graymalkin General-NYC

Peter stirred to silence.

He was slumped against a wall, and there was no living thing around. Peter brought a hand up to scratch his head. His memory was blurry, and he couldn't exactly remember what happened to leave him unconscious on an unfamiliar floor surrounded by knocked over hospital equipment.

It didn't take long.

Suddenly, he was leaping to his feet, flashes of Sylar and Claire and pain and noise rushing through his mind's eye. He recalled Sylar dropping him to the floor and floating away through his increasingly blurry vision, but what he couldn't recall was why.

Peter set off clumsily down the hall. It was tough navigating through the mountain of mess Sylar had left behind, but he knew he couldn't stay and sulk here all the way at the end of the hall.

But where was he going?

He remembered the designated meeting place: the dumpster. Unfortunately he wasn't sure if everyone else had made it out ok…

No, he couldn't leave Claire. Not when he had last heard her screaming…

With new determination, Peter set on his way wading through the carnage.

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Peter had no idea how long it took him to get back to the T. While he had ran down this hallway in less than a minute, it took considerably longer to make his way back through all the havoc that had been left behind. He barely stopped to look towards the exit before he continued on his now clear path.

He came to the door through which he had seen Claire disappear, and cautiously, he cracked it open.

He couldn't decide whether he was relieved or frightened that she wasn't there.

She wasn't there, so that meant she was alive.

But then she wasn't there.

He took one last look at the blood glistening on the floor before he closed the door and leaned against it.

Now he knew she was relatively all right, he just had to find her.

Peter turned and set off at a brisk pace down the hall.

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Peter had to do a double take.

He had just passed what appeared to be a gigantic _hole_ in the wall, big enough for a man to walk through. He could only think of one person capable of such a thing.

Sylar.

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Claire jumped away from the wall in fear and Matt reached a hand out to grab her shoulder.

"Run!" yelled Matt as he and D.L. turned and fled.

Claire watched Sylar move forward, ready to bolt at a moment's notice, when suddenly a parking meter swung by and hit Sylar on the back of his head.

He stumbled forward a few steps, and then angrily spun about look for the source.

Peter stepped out from behind a car.

"Looking for me?" He asked nonchalantly, hands in pockets.

Claire could have cried in relief. Sylar could have exploded with frustration. He violently thrust out a hand and lifted it up. A parked car rose with it, and Peter looked to Claire with wide eyes.

"Get out of here!" He said, "NOW!" when she didn't listen.

Reluctantly Claire turned and ran out the other end of the alleyway to meet D.L. and Matt hiding behind the corner. She skidded to a halt and pressed herself against the wall beside them.

"What are we doing?" She asked.

"I don't know… Um…" Matt poked his head around the corner and then quickly drew it back again. They winced as one as a loud crash and screams broke _the morning__silence_. "D.L., do you think you could go get the Haitian for us?"

D.L. looked disbelievingly at each of them, but crumbled to Claire's pleading stare.

"Yeah, I'll be right back." And with that he took off along the back of the building towards the second alleyway.

Claire slid across the wall to fill D.L.'s space.

"So, what's the plan then?"

"Back in Texas I couldn't read that guy's thoughts. I think his power might have something to do with canceling out others. We need to get him to do that to Sylar so Peter can kick his ass."

"Oh."

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Peter stood his ground as Sylar glared at him, the car lifting high and higher. He waited until he could no longer see Claire before he raised a hand and ripped a mail box from the street.

Sylar smirked. _So he wants to play, does he?_

"You killed Ted." Peter stated as he motioned his head to where Ted's body lay.

Sylar took a long look at the body, as if seeing it for the first time.

"So I did." He replied.

"I'm going to make you pay for that." Peter growled.

"Right."

Without warning Sylar thrust his hand forward and the car was flying towards Peter. Shocked, Peter dropped the mail box and ducked behind another car to avoid getting hit. He cringed at the crash it made upon hitting the pavement and the screams of innocents from inside the apartment buildings.

He barely dropped to his knees before the car he was hiding behind was hovering above his head.

Peter rolled forward into the street and then jumped to his feet directly in front of another car. The man inside yelled as he slammed on the brakes before opening the door and stumbling off in the opposite direction. The street was scattered with people running from their cars or from their apartments.

Sylar was advancing, and with a wave of his hand the previously occupied car went rocketing up into the sky.

Peter scrambled backwards and searched his mind for anything to use against Sylar. He was drawing a blank, and it made him furious. Furious at himself. Furious at Sylar.

Sylar paused suddenly, and then turned toward the hospital.

Peter followed his line of sight and saw the Haitian standing in the opening of the alley, and D.L. soon joined him. _Damn it, why can't they stay away?_

Sylar's smile nearly touched his eyes. His glinting eyes that scared the crap out of Peter with the insanity they spoke of.

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Sylar wanted to laugh. He really did. Here he was, surrounded by people with powers so great yet they were not qualified to use them. He wanted to relieve them of their burden.

All of them.

He saw the memory wiper, the phaser, and of course, the absorber. He didn't care what he had decided before, he _wanted them._

The potential coursed through his veins and clouded his thought. His breathing increased in speed. He wanted them _all. _

Finally he couldn't take it. He let himself laugh, and he laughed hard. His eyes moving from the absorber to the phaser to the memory wiper, it was all just so _perfect _he had to laugh.

And then to top it off the God damn _healer _presented herself in the next alley, followed by the mind reader.

There was so much _power. _He could feel it, clawing at his senses, plugging into his brain and feeding his hunger.

And then he felt _him _pushing his way forward.

Gabriel.

Gabriel had enough. He didn't want all these powers. He didn't want all this guilt, but Sylar did. He wanted them so bad that it ached every moment he was without them. Every moment his hands stayed clean. Every moment Gabriel held on.

In a frantic burst of inner turmoil, Sylar's arms lit up with radiation.

_No. _He thought. _I am staying in control of this body!_

He was becoming confused. Powers, knocking on his door. Gabriel, pounding at his thoughts. He felt himself burning up.

And then Sylar felt the worst feeling in his life.

He felt out of control.

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NYC-Penthouse

Letalis/Wireless

"YOU SON OF A BITCH! GIVE ME BACK MY SON!!!"

_Why look for them, if you can get them to come to you?_ Letalis loved it when plans came together smoothly, and this one came together smoother than the barrel of the magnum he was holding to the head of Wireless's son. _It's a shame she managed to kill my guards, but at least she's here now._

"Take one more step towards me Miss, and I will be decorating my floor with your child's brain matter."

"If you hurt a hair on his head, I swear I'll…"

"You are in no position to make threats. Your only options are to listen to me and do as I say, or leave and take little Max's corpse with you."

He admired the woman, despite the defeated look in her eyes, she kept her attack stance. The waves of fury coming off of her were almost palpable. No matter, he wasn't a man who was easily intimidated, and judging by her silence he already had her under his control.

"Next to what used to be my security chief, you'll see a computer terminal. You will use your…gift…to monitor traffic on the internet and look for traces of activity that could be related to any of your kind. When you do, use the terminal to verify your findings and launch a counterattack if possible. Once your information results in the capture or kill of another of your kind, I will let you and your son go."

"Are you serious? What's the point of this?! You're obviously well connected enough to get this done on your own. You don't need Max or I, please let him go."

"I am quite serious, and luckily for your son I'm also very patient. Make no mistake; my hand will remain holding this gun until you succeed."

"Mommy, what's going on?"

"Fine, I'll do whatever you say, just don't hurt Max. Stay there sweety, we'll go home soon."

Wireless closed her eyes and opened her mind. Almost immediately she could feel the bits of data all around her. All of the information traffic over wireless networks were like wide open books to her. Hopefully she could find something fast enough, for Max.

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Near Graymalkin General-NYC

Claire was worried. Once again, D.L. was taking more time that he should have. It was unnerving.

"Where is he?" She asked Matt.

"I don't know. He should be back by now." He responded, staring at the alley down the street.

Claire let her head fall back to the wall. She suddenly noticed it was eerily quiet. The screams had died down somewhat, and she couldn't hear the sounds of battle.

Then, she heard it.

It was faint at first, but then it became more prominent in her mind. She straightened up and cocked her head to the side.

Sylar was laughing.

With a sudden burst of panic she jumped off the wall and ran around the corner and set off down the alley. She could barely hear Matt yelling behind her, but the laugh was loud and clear.

_Please don't be dead, please don't be dead, please don't be dead… _She repeated in her mind. She envisioned in her thoughts Sylar laughing over the dead body of Peter…

Finally she reached the end of the alley where it opened to the sidewalk, and she couldn't decide if she liked what she saw or not.

Sylar was laughing insanely in the middle of the street. Peter was leaning on the hood of a car not too far away (alive, thank God). When she looked to the side, she saw D.L. and the Haitian standing tensely in the alleyway. After a few moments Sylar seemed to have noticed her presence and turned towards her. Soon after she felt Matt come to stand at her side.

Sylar seemed to burst with glee.

Literally.

Suddenly, his arms were aflame and his bones were glowing through his skin. Claire gasped as Sylar's laughing died away and the look in his eyes hinted that he was just as scared as she was.

She looked helplessly at Peter, who she found was staring right back at her.

He nodded, and Claire knew that to mean he was going to do something rash and completely necessary.

As the glow in Sylar spread and his clothes began to smolder, Peter leapt to his feet. He took a split second poll in his head before he was flying in the air towards the exploding man.

Grabbing him by his shirt, Peter lifted Sylar with him as he flew higher and higher. He had a plan. After all this, he couldn't stop the bomb. He couldn't stop Sylar. But at least he could save a few lives.

Peter looked down. It was funny how small everything was from up here. How insignificant.

He focused all of his power into a narrow telekinetic beam and forced it upon the ground, drilling a hole. He made it deep.

Peter readjusted his grip on Sylar, and he was forced to grab a hold of his wrist. He could feel the heat scorching through his hand, and thinking of Claire he dove towards the ground.

As the street rose higher Peter could feel the disaster approaching. He swooped at the last second before the hole of his own creation and held Sylar dangling above it.

"Sylar," He panted, "Burn in hell."

And with that, he released his grip on the monster named Sylar to let him plummet as far as he could go.

"My name… is Gabriel." Gabriel whispered as he burned through the air.

But Peter was long gone.

No one was there to hear him.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Peter shot away from the chasm and made a beeline for D.L. and the Haitian. He knew that he didn't have the time to make the hole all that deep and there wasn't much time left.

He knew Claire could survive the remnants of the blast, however big that would be, and he trusted her to keep Matt from harm, as he didn't have the time nor the strength to carry him too.

Peter grabbed each of the men by their arms and swooped low before raising high in the air, high enough to overpass buildings. And then, he went straight.

Behind him he could hear the screeching of the explosion, and he knew that the look on Sylar's face as he knew he was nearing the end and the sound of destruction would haunt him as long as he lived.

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Subway Tunnel Station-NYC

Amanda was mid-yawn when it happened. A man fell onto the subway tracks. He was glowing.

She frantically pulled on the brakes, and a cacophony of screams erupted behind her when the train began to screech to a halt.

The man stood and faced her, how she could tell, she didn't know. He was bright enough to where she couldn't make out his features. As the light spread and she could feel the heat begin to suffocate her, she knew the time had come.

And as she felt the minutes shrink, she thought last of the baby she miscarried two years ago.

She was going to name him Gabriel.

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Near Graymalkin General-NYC

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Near Graymalkin General-NYC

Claire watched as Peter zoomed away with D.L. and the Haitian. Even though his choice of who to take with him was logical, she couldn't stop the feeling of pain that ran through her as he left her behind.

She felt a hand placed lightly on her shoulder, and when she turned her head she saw Matt giving her a comforting look. She gave a small smile in return.

Suddenly she could hear the roar of flames and heat traveling up the tunnel, and without further thought she pushed Matt roughly against the side of the alley.

"Get behind the-"

But before she could finish Claire was thrown suddenly off her feet by an enormous gust of white-hot air. She threw a hand in front of her face and closed her eyes, but she could feel her skin blistering under the heat. She could feel her clothes disintegrating to ash.

And just as suddenly as it had come it was gone again.

Her body has already started to stitch itself back together, but when she opened her eyes and looked at herself she was a mixture of angry red and black. Before her eyes it began to return to its normal state, however.

Suddenly Matt was kneeling at her side.

"Are… are you ok?" He asked.

"Yeah… Just… Give me a second." Her voice sounded raspy.

Matt looked on in awe as the burns on her skin were quickly covered over with healed skin, perfect as it had been just a couple seconds ago.

Moments later Claire was good as new, her only injury being that her skin was smeared with soot and he clothes were ruined. Matt quickly noticed this and gave her his jacket. As Claire slipped it on with a "Thanks," she noticed the right sleeve was burnt.

"Are you ok?" She asked, peering at Matt's right arm.

"Yeah, it's nothing."

Claire didn't buy it. His arm was tinged a red color and had a pretty nasty looking burn on it.

"I'm sorry." She said.

"It's not your fault. I would've been toast if you didn't push me behind that wall."

Claire smiled. "Yeah, it's nothing." She quoted.

Matt smiled at her.

They heard sirens in the distance.

"Do you think they're coming to get us?" She asked.

"They better."

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Near Graymalkin General-NYC

Zach and Hiro

It turned out that Ando was right, Zach had hoped that Hiro could just teleport them to a location. It looked like they had done a little bit of time traveling too. They popped into a street corner that was being rocked by some kind of underground earthquake. _I don't remember feeling this outside Isaac's place. We better find the group fast._

"Hiro come on, there's the hospital!"

"Hai!"

"We better go around back, no point in looking too suspicious."

Although, as Zach looked around he could see that discretion was pretty useless by now. People were panicking all over the place, running and screaming, trying to escape the quake. Once Zach and Hiro felt the shaking starting to subside, they took off.

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Near Graymalkin General-NYC

Claire and Matt

Claire looked at Matt worriedly as the noise grew and died alternately, and still there was no sight of any familiar faces.

"Do you think we should stay here and wait for somebody to find us, or just go by ourselves?"

"I don't know… I guess we could go faster by ourselves. Let's go." And with that Matt gave Claire a hand and helped her up. Together they turned and began to walk out of the alley when suddenly their footsteps seemed to have multiplied. Matt turned to see a scraggly, mousy looking man trying to catch up to them inconspicuously. He was actually gaining.

Matt stopped.

"Hey, what are you-"

But before Matt could finish, a glint of metal appeared in his hand and suddenly it was pressed against Claire's neck. He had slipped in before Matt could react, and now they were all in a bad situation.

Claire gasped as the man gripped her arms to her side with an arm around her waist and pressed the sharp knife to her throat.

"Hand them over, or she dies" He said in a shaking voice. He emphasized his point by pressing the blade harder to Claire's neck.

"Hey man, we don't know what you're talking about, why don't you let her go and-"

"YOU KNOW EXACTLY WHAT I'M TALKING ABOUT!" he shouted.

Matt's natural cop instincts wanted him to screw the consequences and dive for the man, but Claire caught the look in his eyes and was inconspicuously but noticeably shaking her head _no. _

"I think you have us mistaken for somebody-" aAnd then it hit him. He noticed how the man's pupils were dilated and how taunt his muscles were, how they seemed to be vibrating. Shit. This guy was a junkie.

Matt's police history knew he was either high or going through withdrawal. This changed things a bit.

Matt was furiously wracking his brain for a plan when-

"Hey! Put your hands up, now!"

Matt spun to see Zach and Hiro in the opening of the alleyway, Zach with a gun and Hiro brandishing his sword.

_Thank God. _Matt thought.

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Near Graymalkin General-NYC

Zach and Hiro

After a few seconds of weaving through crowds and dodging debris from skyscrapers they found their way into an alley and saw Claire and Matt. Before he had time to feel relief, Zach drew his gun at the sight of Claire being held with a knife to her throat by a man obviously on drugs. He heard Hiro draw his sword beside him.

"Hey! Put your hands up, now!"

Zach hoped the words didn't sound as lame to the man as they sounded to him. Apparently, they carried enough authority to get his attention. The man and Matt turned to him, and while Matt's face showed relief, the druggie just seemed to grow more frantic and crazy.

"Back off man! This bitch has drugs, I know she does!"

"She doesn't have any drugs; just put the knife down slowly." He tried to stay calm, especially when he caught the look Claire was giving him. Aw, shit. _Don't do it Claire!_

"Shut up, I know she's got…"

The man never got to finish his sentence because Claire took that moment to shove her elbow into his stomach. Unfortunately, his immediate reaction was to slice her throat open with the knife in his hand. Her blood splattered on the ground and on the man's hand.

Apparently human blood is a lot more effective way to kick the habit than methadone. The sight of Claire's blood sent him sprawling on the ground behind her, fear in his eyes. When he looked up, he saw Claire straighten up, wiping he hand across her neck, and _no wound. _ The junkie gasped and leapt to his feet. He scrambled over the dumpster and began to sprint out of the alleyway, not before he yelled over his shoulder:

"Freaks! Freaks, all of you!"

It didn't take long for Zach to jump on the dumpster and hesitantly raise his gun…

"Zach, no!" Claire shouted.

"We have to Claire, he saw you! If he tells others, you, your family, everybody, they're all screwed!"

"He's just a junkie! No one's going to believe him anyway."

Zach didn't say anything, but held his aim firmly on the rapidly disappearing man.

"Zach, please, you're not like my dad. I know you're not. Let's just get out of here."

Zach cursed and dropped his gun. Claire jumped on the dumpster beside him and watched the man disappear around the corner.

"You did the right thing, Zach."

"Yeah, whatever."

"Besides, what is he going to tell everyone? 'I tried to kill a girl and she came back?' He _can't _tell."

There was no response. Claire sighed and gave Zach a hug.

"I'm serious, Zach. Nothing good would have come of you shooting that man. Thank you."

And as if words weren't enough, Claire pressed her lips against Zach's cheek in a quick kiss. She then stepped away from Zach's now rigid and shell-shocked body and jumped down from the dumpster, leaving him to stare after her with his mouth open and cheeks red.

"Are you coming?" She asked him with a smile.

Zach shook himself out of his reverie and more fell and jumped off the dumpster. The group formed a circle and prepared to teleport away, when Zach caught Matt stifling a laugh at him.

"What?" He asked, irritated.

"Nothing." Matt said, trying his hardest to put on a straight face.

And in a flash the group was gone, leaving behind a bruised and broken city.

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Post A/N's:

Ch. 10 Preview: Multi-Front Assault

After the bomb explosion, new troubles await our Heroes. Their fellows are hunted down, and now even their families are in danger. Will they reach the sanctuary in time?


End file.
